{"id":2530,"date":"2024-11-30T10:49:14","date_gmt":"2024-11-30T10:49:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.uclm.es\/uniling\/?p=2530"},"modified":"2025-11-10T09:49:38","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T09:49:38","slug":"the-difficult-process-of-learning-to-speak-the-language-of-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.uclm.es\/uniling\/2024\/11\/30\/the-difficult-process-of-learning-to-speak-the-language-of-power\/","title":{"rendered":"The difficult process of learning to \u201cspeak the language of power\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eeas.europa.eu\/eeas\/difficult-process-learning-speak-language-power_en\">https:\/\/www.eeas.europa.eu\/eeas\/difficult-process-learning-speak-language-power_en<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eeas.europa.eu\/eeas\/difficult-process-learning-speak-language-power_en\">Servicio Europeo de Acci\u00f3n Exterior<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>In a 29 November 2024 blog post, former EU High Representative Josep Borrell reflects on his five-year mandate and argues that the European Union must learn to <em>\u201cspeak the language of power\u201d<\/em> if it is to defend its interests effectively in a more dangerous and multipolar world. He notes that while the EU has strong institutions and normative power, it too often lags in agility, coherence and strategic action. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eeas.europa.eu\/eeas\/difficult-process-learning-speak-language-power_en\">Servicio Europeo de Acci\u00f3n Exterior<\/a>)<br>Though the article is about geopolitics and power, it touches on language in a metaphorical but meaningful way\u2014and links to our interest in multilingualism in several ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The notion of \u201cspeaking the language of power\u201d reminds us that language is not only a matter of communication, but also of agency, representation and influence. Multilingualism matters because if you cannot \u201cspeak the language\u201d of institutions, you may be excluded from decision-making, from representation, or from the ability to shape policy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the context of EU multilingualism, this implies that having many languages (and the capacity to use them) is not merely symbolic: it is part of the infrastructure of power, legitimacy and participation. Member states and citizens whose languages and voices are less present may find themselves outside the circles of influence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For professional fields (translation, localisation, language policy, multilingual education): if the EU is to strengthen its voice globally, the language-skills ecosystem inside the EU (including translation\/interpreting, multilingual education, language technology) must be robust. Multilingual professionals become part of the \u201clanguage of power\u201d the EU needs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The article also indirectly raises questions about resource allocation, institutional structures, and how multilingual practices are embedded in governance. If the EU wants to act with power, the behind-the-scenes language infrastructure (translation, interpretation, multilingual staff, digital multilingual systems) must align with that ambition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Finally, from a policy-perspective: there is a gap between rhetoric (\u201cEurope should speak with one strategic voice\u201d) and practice (\u201cmember states still operate in 24+ languages, institutional delays, translation burdens\u201d). Bridging that gap requires foresight, investment and professionalisation\u2014precisely the domains our modules explore.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What do you interpret by \u201cspeaking the language of power\u201d in the context of European institutions? Is it literal (languages, translation) or metaphorical (strategic discourse, influence)?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In what ways does multilingualism enhance or hinder an institution\u2019s power and agility? Could fewer languages be more efficient? Or is multilingualism itself a strategic asset?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you were designing a professional-training module for multilingual staff in the EU (translation\/localisation\/education), what skills would you prioritise to ensure that Europe <em>can<\/em> \u201cspeak the language of power\u201d?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Would love to hear your take!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>https:\/\/www.eeas.europa.eu\/eeas\/difficult-process-learning-speak-language-power_en (Servicio Europeo de Acci\u00f3n Exterior) In a 29 November 2024 blog post, former EU High Representative Josep Borrell reflects on his five-year mandate and argues that the European Union must learn to \u201cspeak the language of power\u201d if it is to defend its interests effectively in a more dangerous and multipolar world. He notes [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":2531,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-es"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uclm.es\/uniling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uclm.es\/uniling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uclm.es\/uniling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uclm.es\/uniling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uclm.es\/uniling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2530"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uclm.es\/uniling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2530\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2532,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uclm.es\/uniling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2530\/revisions\/2532"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uclm.es\/uniling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uclm.es\/uniling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uclm.es\/uniling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uclm.es\/uniling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}