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US Leaders Have Much to Learn from European Language Policies </h2>
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<p>In case you haven’t heard it, the joke goes <span class="" id="IL_AD7">like this</span>: What do you call someone who speaks several languages? <span class="" id="IL_AD6">Answer</span>: a polyglot. What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Answer: bilingual. And how about someone who only speaks one language?</p>
<p>Answer: an American.</p>
<p>The punch line isn’t very funny anymore. In fact, the need to address
language diversity in the U.S. is increasingly dire, and the lack of
public discussion or policy in the midst of significant demographic and
economic change means the situation will only get worse.</p>
<p>One out of five U.S. households now speaks a language other than
English. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of people five
and older who don’t speak English at home has exploded five times faster
than the nation’s population growth over the past three decades. And
don’t assume this is just about Spanish. More than 300 economically
viable languages are spoken in the U.S. today.</p>
<p>The bottom line is that U.S. leaders have got to stop taking language
for granted. To remain competitive and effective both globally and
domestically, the U.S. must address the <span class="" id="IL_AD11">full</span> impact of linguistic diversity.</p>
<p>U.S. leaders could take a cue from Europe on how to approach language
issues. The European Union (EU) is about to launch Horizon 2020, a
comprehensive program to increase Europe’s long-term competiveness
through research and innovation.</p>
<p>Building on previous multi-year <span class="" id="IL_AD2">investments</span>
in linguistic diversity and infrastructure, Horizon 2020 looks ahead to
Europe’s multilingual needs and priorities. Among other things, it
addresses innovations in translation technology, advancements in
automated translation, and more rigorous educational standards for
professional translators.</p>
<p>Specific <span class="" id="IL_AD8">examples of</span> European projects include:</p>
<ul><li>QTLaunchPad, a European Commission-funded program to measure
translation quality through industry collaboration with European
research institutes;</li><li>META-NET, a program to develop automated translation capabilities across all European languages;</li><li>And a partnership between the European Commission, higher education
institutions and language-industry companies to offer internships for
graduates with a European master’s degree in translation.</li></ul>
<p>The U.S. should follow Europe’s lead in building its own multilingual future. To remain competitive, the U.S. <i>must bring language into the conversation about the national economic infrastructure</i>. Specifically, <span class="" id="IL_AD10">the United</span>
States needs to increase funding for language education, support
initiatives that lead to the professionalization of the translation
industry, and focus on our own new and innovative forms of language
technologies.</p>
<p>U.S. leaders need to realize the critical role multilingual access
and equality will play in the country’s ability to compete in the
future, and they need <span class="" id="IL_AD9">to start</span> making it happen now.</p>
<p><i>Hans Fenstermacher is Chief Executive Officer of the Globalization and Localization Association (GALA), the world’s largest <span class="" id="IL_AD3">trade</span> association for the language industry. More at <a href="http://www.gala-global.org">www.gala-global.org</a>.</i></p>
<p><br></p><p><i><a href="http://groundreport.com/us-leaders-have-much-to-learn-from-european-language-policies-2/">http://groundreport.com/us-leaders-have-much-to-learn-from-european-language-policies-2/</a><br></i></p><br clear="all">
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