Languages of Europe
There
are about 225 indigenous languages in Europe
– roughly 3% of the world's total. Most of the European languages are of Indo-European origin.
Since
the end of the 18th century, the most widespread language of Europe
(both in terms of geography and the number of native speakers) is Russian.
It is followed by German
(approx. 95 mil.), English
and French
(each by 65 mil.), Italian (60 mil.), Spanish
and Polish (40 mil. each), Ukrainian (30 mil.)
As far
as the foreign language studies are concerned, English is currently the most
popular foreign language in Europe , followed by
German, French,
Russian, Spanish, and Italian.
Multilingualism today
With immigrants and
refugees, Europe has become more multilingual.
The typical
multilingual European is a student who holds a managerial position
or was born in a country where a different language is spoken.
The
European Union adheres to a policy of multilingualism, both at its
institutional workings and as an aim for its citizens.
Multilingualism
for the EU is linked to worker mobility and the
European economy.
The
European Union spends more than €30 million a year promoting language learning
and linguistic diversity through the Socrates and Leonardo da Vinci programmes.
