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Document 92003E002316
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2316/03 by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Knowledge of languages in the Union.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2316/03 by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Knowledge of languages in the Union.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2316/03 by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Knowledge of languages in the Union.
OJ C 33E, 6.2.2004, pp. 251–252
(ES, DA, DE, EL, EN, FR, IT, NL, PT, FI, SV)
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6.2.2004 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
CE 33/251 |
(2004/C 33 E/258)
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2316/03
by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Commission
(14 July 2003)
Subject: Knowledge of languages in the Union
Following the widespread introduction of new multi-media technologies, for example DVD technology, Europeans can buy films and watch them in the various Union languages. However, increasingly often DVD's on the market offer films in two language versions at the most, and do not always provide subtitles for each language version.
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1. |
Does the Commission not consider that the potential of technologies should be exploited to the full in order to spread knowledge of Community languages as much as possible, thereby implementing one of the principal commitments made at the Lisbon European Council? |
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2. |
What legislative steps and other measures will the Commission take to ensure that European citizens, using the technology mentioned, can learn the languages of other European peoples by watching films? |
Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission
(4 September 2003)
The Commission fully shares the Honourable Member's desire to improve the teaching and learning of languages in the Union.
The Honourable Member may be interested to know that the Commission has recently published a Communication to the other institutions (1)‘Promoting language learning and linguistic diversity: an Action Plan 2004-2006’.
The Communication specifically refers to the potential of new technologies for promoting language learning:
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Every community in Europe can become more language-friendly by making better use of opportunities to hear and see other languages and cultures, thereby helping to improve language awareness and learning. |
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Research shows that the use of sub-titles in film and television can encourage and facilitate language learning. The power of the media — including new media such as DVDs — could be harnessed in the creation of a more language-friendly environment by regularly exposing citizens to other languages and cultures. The potential for the greater use of sub-titles to promote language learning could be exploited. |
Furthermore, the Commission proposes to launch a study to analyse the potential for greater use of subtitles in film and television programmes to promote language learning and to examine ways and means of encouraging greater use of sub-titled audio-visual material for language learning purposes.
Regarding the second question, and more specifically about the legislative steps, one should stress that the Commission does not have the competence to take initiatives of a legislative nature in this field.
In conclusion, the Commission considers multilingual DVDs as one of several possible tools for creating an environment in Europe which is more ‘language-friendly’, and would encourage their use as such.
(1) COM(2003)449 final.