Brit in Germany is one of the language-related vloggers whose videos I watch from time to time. He’s a thoughtful fellow and I recommend you subscribe to his channel. But I occasionally disagree with his take on things.
In a video entitled “The European language revolution everyone’s ignoring,” he discusses a “revolution” in European languages. But if this is a revolution, it’s a very old revolution that has been underway for quite some time.
First, there is the fact that most European countries now have a unified national language. This wasn’t always the case. But it’s hardly a new development. Various French dialects, to cite one example, began to disappear in the Napoleonic era. Swabian and Sicilian have long been marginal in Germany and Italy.
The video also mentions the prevalence of English as a second language in Europe, as if this is something new or revolutionary. I remember being told in the 1980s: “All members of the young generation in Europe speak fluent English!” The “young generation”of the 1980s are now in their 50s and 60s. Do they all speak fluent English? One doubts it. But then, I was also told in the 1980s that all the young people in Japan and South Korea speak fluent English. Go to Tokyo or Seoul in 2025 and try to speak English with a random 50-something. See how far you get.
Insofar as Europe and English is concerned, this is what can be said:
-Almost everyone in Europe studies English at some point, so a European with zero knowledge of English is rare.
-English proficiency is highest in the small Northern European countries like Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, and Finland.
-In Germany, your mileage may vary, depending on where you are and with whom you’re interacting.
-In Spain, Italy, Portugal, and France, proficiency in English is by no means to be assumed, though many people speak it.
-Wherever you go, more young people than old people are proficient in English. The young are the ones actually studying English in the classroom, after all!
-This doesn’t mean that all young people are proficient in English. But if you are talking to a proficient English speaker in continental Europe, the odds are high that you’re talking to someone under 30. This is true in 2025. This was also true in 1985.
-English-proficient youth do not necessarily retain their English skills as they age. (Remember: I’ve been hearing about young people who speak “fluent English” for more than 40 years!)
-That’s the way it goes with any skill. You use it or lose it. When I was 15 years old, I could play a passable rendition of “Stairway to Heaven” on the guitar. But I haven’t taken guitar lessons or touched a guitar since 1984. Today I remember the basic chords, and a few fragments of songs.
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In defense of Brit in Germany, these “revolutionary” findings were presented on the internet by the European Commission, which is always eager to tout the narrative of European unity. Where language is concerned, this means: strong support of national languages with English as the unifying factor.
None of this is inaccurate, necessarily. But it doesn’t represent a major, recent change, either. What we have here is a headline from 1985, refurbished for 2025.
-ET
