Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development
Editor and Book Reviews Editor: John Edwards (St Francis Xavier University, Canada)
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Volume: 23 Number: 5 Page: 371–387
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Multilingualism in Europe: An Effective French Identity Strategy?
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Leigh Oakes
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In 1994–95, French language policy in Europe underwent a transformation. The overt promotion of French as a European lingua franca which had characterised the French position in the past was replaced
with a new policy of promoting multilingualism, which was considered a more effective means of ensuring the status of French within the European Union (EU). This article examines this new French multilingual
policy in terms of its intentions and effectiveness as an identity strategy. Not only does it appear to exclude regional languages, France's multilingual policy does not always translate into a genuine
interest in the EU's other official languages. A recent strengthening of ethnolinguistic consciousness in Sweden provides an example of how the new French tactic may yet backfire: stirring up linguistic
nationalisms will only highlight the inconsistencies in the French multilingual policy and may even exacerbate the already declining role of the French language in the European and international arenas.
© Multilingual Matters 2002
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