ABSTRACT
The EU’s internal linguistic regime is permeated by de jure multilingualism, as 24 official languages enjoy the same status as official and working languages, and de facto monolingualism, as the EU’s modus operandi is increasingly predicated on English. This chapter looks at and unpicks the aporias that stem from this basic paradox between de jure multilingualism and de facto monolingualism, namely the status of regional, non-territorial and migrant languages vis-à-vis the 24 official languages, as well as the EU’s celebration of languages for expressive value vis-à-vis its unofficial use of English as a mere tool for communication. With the help of EU primary law, statistics and information published in its multiple portals, its de jure multilingualism and de facto monolingualism will be explained and illustrated. This basic paradox will be embedded in the philosophical framework sketched in Chapter 1, and an answer as to whether this paradox requires a resolution will be suggested. The chapter also highlights the role of language policy in this conundrum, taking the example of education language policies on foreign language teaching in member states to reveal the extent to which EU education systems reinforce the dominant position of English in the bloc.
