| "I am called Sylvie, and we are three in our family, and | | | | finding people in hotels, restaurants and shops who |
| during two weeks we have been in Spain taking a | | | | spoke even a little English. Now, almost all of these |
| wonderful holiday. We were very interested to see | | | | establishments in Paris are staffed with very good |
| the bull fighting and we had a lovely weather all the | | | | speakers of English. |
| time we were there. I am the only child in my family, | | | | The most surprising element of English in Europe is that |
| but my father and mother are my nicest friends so I | | | | its prime purpose is not to communicate with native |
| am not very much lonely. When we came back from | | | | English speakers such as tourists. It is used between |
| Spain to our home in France we realised how much | | | | Europeans as a lingua franca. Where I live in |
| we had profited from our holiday. | | | | Switzerland, the French speakers use English to |
| Normally we must to return to work on Monday. Our | | | | communicate with the German and Italian speaking |
| holiday was less long this year, but we hope we can | | | | Swiss, and visa versa. So it could be called the holiday |
| have a more long holiday next year." | | | | language. Additionally, the internet, and particularly the |
| After teaching English in Europe for many years, I | | | | recent advent of social networking has increased the |
| have become accustomed to what is now being | | | | use of English in Europe remarkably. |
| generally described as European English. More | | | | Another practicality has increased the use of English in |
| appropriately I believe it is simply second or third | | | | Europe. The European Union now has members with |
| language proficiency. However, with latin influences | | | | twenty-seven official languages to accommodate. |
| being strong in Europe, many of the errors in the short | | | | While French and Spanish are still widely spoken, |
| text above become familiar in the extreme. | | | | English has become the language of choice in politics. |
| To my mind, the most important aspect of so called | | | | This is also evident in the increased use of English in |
| European English is in its use and application. Who are | | | | the United Nations. |
| these users of English as a second language? When | | | | Returning to Sylvie's small piece at the beginning of this |
| do they use English to communicate? Who do they | | | | article. There are very clear errors in her grammar and |
| communicate with in English? How often do they | | | | vocabulary. For me this is not the issue. The question I |
| communicate with native English speakers? | | | | pose is what errors are there that are an impediment |
| A vast percentage of Europeans speak English at | | | | to accurate comprehension? In my view, although her |
| varying levels of proficiency. Noticeably, Scandinavian | | | | text is obviously affected by French structures and |
| countries have been actively teaching English since the | | | | lexis, there is nothing that would inhibit accurate |
| nineteen fifties and generally have an excellent level. | | | | comprehension by a native or second language |
| Often approaching native proficiency. Germans also | | | | speaker of English. Assuming that she may have a |
| have a very good general level of English. Further | | | | strong accent as well, she would be classed as a |
| south in Europe, strong Latin accents can inhibit | | | | competent operational user of European English. A |
| understanding, but good operational levels are | | | | now very common and increasingly competent |
| becoming far more common. I recall my first visit to | | | | attribute among Europeans. |
| Paris in the early nineties and having great difficulty in | | | | |