Language Policy and the Future of Europe: A Conversation with Seán Ó Riain

This volume offers an insider perspective on language policy in the EU, bringing together two key figures well acquainted with its development to reflect critically on the future of language policy and practices in post-Brexit Europe.

Born out of Alice Leal’s English and Translation in the European Union, this volume features annotated interviews with Seán Ó Riain, newly appointed Multilingualism Officer by the Irish diplomatic service, whose decades of experience in key milestones in EU language policy offer a unique perspective on its development. Each chapter, bookended by a contextual introduction and a closing commentary by Leal, addresses such key questions as: How long can the EU keep linguistic and cultural spheres off the policy-making agenda? How has the ECRML impacted linguistic diversity in the region? How widespread is the dominance of English in EU institutions today and what impact does it have on EU multilingualism? Why is EU language policy not given the attention it warrants? What does the future of language policy hold in this post-Brexit era?

Providing exclusive insights into EU language policy, this book will appeal to scholars in applied linguistics, translation studies, sociolinguistics, and political science, as well as stakeholders in language policy and planning.

Alice Leal is Associate Professor of Translation and Interpreting Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.

Seán Ó Riain is an Irish diplomat and linguist with over 40 years of diplomatic service, presently in charge of the promotion of multilingualism at the Irish Foreign Ministry.