Newsgroups: alt.politics.ec,sci.lang
From: philip@storcomp.demon.co.uk (Phil Hunt)
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!news2.near.net!news.mathworks.com!newshost.marcam.com!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!news.sprintlink.net!peernews.demon.co.uk!storcomp.demon.co.uk!philip
Subject: Re: Languages in the EC
References: <3fdf8r$gqe@nic.lth.se> <3feev2$4df@news.INbe.net> <DUNCAN.95Feb7192715@lightning.eee.strath.ac.uk>
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Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 02:48:28 +0000
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In article <DUNCAN.95Feb7192715@lightning.eee.strath.ac.uk>
           duncan@lightning.eee.strath.ac.uk "Duncan THOMSON" writes:
> > For most purposes a cursory knowledge is enough. In any case, many
> > people don't know their native language all that well: they have a
> > small vocabulary and mis-use words.
> 
> Is a cursory knowledge enough to replace a broken windshield in the
> middle of Italy?  Is it enough to fill in a tax form? 

I don't even understand a tax return written in English. Bureaucrats 
should use language that is as simple as possible.

If someone *had to* know a language for these purposes, they would
learn it well. And learning a language is easier if you already partly
know it.

> Yes, sure, I
> can order a Big Mac in German, I can even buy train tickets (one-way,
> admittedly, when I wanted return ones...).  If the EU is to become
> easy for its average citizen to live and work in, that citizen will
> need more than just a cursory knowledge, and of more than one
> language...

I personally would be happy to learn a language for EU purposes. Many
people would not, but they would not get the best jobs.

-- 
Phil Hunt...philip@storcomp.demon.co.uk
Majority rule for Britain!
