European Language Policy on Plurilingualism and Intercultural Communication

Abstract

Effective communication is vital, and the need for it has never been more emphasized than these days witnessing the peak of European integration. Different institutions and organizations of the EU promote the model of the ideal European citizen speaking two foreign languages and having the needed competence to manage intercultural encounters. By analyzing the most important EU documents on language policy, this paper presents how the EU aims to publicize plurilingualism and intercultural awareness, the two most important characteristics of the European citizen.