Talk:English-speaking Europe
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[edit] Malta, Cyprus, etc.
I tinkered with the opening paragraph so to emphasize the degree to which the UK and Ireland are English-speaking compared to Gibraltar, Malta and Cyprus. I think the sections on Gibraltar, Malta and Cyprus are interesting and I like seeing them in this article, but I wanted to eliminate the impression that English is spoken on the streets of Valletta or Nicosia to the same degree that its spoken in London or Inverness. I also added a few lines about the Crown Dependencies since they were named in the opening but were not added again. -- House of Scandal 01:06, 12 November 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Grammar
To be grammatically correct, shouldn't this be entitled "English-speaking Europe". "English speaking Europe" means "English people speaking a language called Europe". Deb 11:51, 31 Oct 2004 (UTC)
- I think you're right - it should be moved to English-speaking Europe. --Nought 12:11, 1 Nov 2004 (UTC)
Isn't the Wales section a bit NPOV regarding "subjugation" etc.
[edit] Ireland
Can Ireland be called a British colony? It was an indepedent state under the British monarch, then an integral part of the United Kingdom, and finally after that indepednet- Never officially a colony. --24.147.128.141 18:04, 22 Dec 2004 (UTC)
The article does not mention that English is spoken almost everywhere in Europe, so for example I see myself as an English-speaking European, though I am not form the UK, Malta, Cyprus or Gibraltar.
I see this article as an effort to prove that Europe is English-speaking. Not in fact. Just check how many countries speak German (Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Luxembourg and still spoken in some countries of Eastern Europe) or French (France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg).
On the other hand Cyprus is rather Greek, than English-speaking.
Anyway that's just my opinion.
Atlasz 13:35, 7 Jan 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Purpose?
The term "English-speaking Europe" is not a common one, and is subject to various interpretations as seen abov e. It could also include the increasing use of English all over Europe.
Much of this article consists of non-linguistic history which is covered better in other articles and doesn't need to be duplicated.
Even the linguistic discussion lacks detail and statistics. For example, the greatest retreat of Irish and Welsh in the face of English was during the 19th century, but you would not know this, or its relation to the Industrial Revolution, from this article.
This article lacks many aspects. It counts Cyprus a part of english-speaking europe, but is not longer official language there nor more english-speaking than e.g. the Netherlands. I think the people in the Netherlands and Northern Europe are more capable in English than the Cypriots.
[edit] Union Jack or...?
How about the "Cross of St George" (rather than the Union Flag) to denote the English language? Doesn't it annoy you to see the USA flag on guide books/websites etc to denote "English", you'd think they'd invented the language or something! -- Annonymous
Is there no flag (other than the Union Jack) for the English language.--Alan Frize 11:45, 20 September 2005 (UTC)
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See also commons:Category:Flags of languages. Edward 20:37, 20 September 2005 (UTC)
English language flag
I appreciate your annoyance at seeing the Stars and Stripes rather than the Union Jack to indicate the English language on websites.
The St. George is a creative and logical suggestion since the language is called English rather than British. But it's not a practical solution.
The St. George isn't well-recognized by many outside the UK and some Commonwealth countries except by Anglophiles, vexillologists and the especially learned.
Also, even moreso than the Union Jack, the St. George has some sectatarian connotations that Irish people (including the Irish diaspora, hence a huge amount of people) aren't fond of.
I think the Union Jack is the best choice. But when you do see the Stars and Stripes, remember that often it wasn't an American that put it there. It many parts of the world, the uneducated call all English-speakers (or even all white people, whether they speak English or not!) "Americans" in the same way a British boor might regard all Asians as Chinese or an American lout might regard all latinos as Mexicans (if on the West Coast), Cubans (if from Florida) or Puerto Ricans (if from NYC).
People are always going to have flawed notions (reading Wipiedia proves this!) When I go to a website from Thailand or Brazil or whatever, I am just happy when a link to (readable) English version exists. House of Scandal 16:00, 23 October 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Malta POV
The paragraph adapted from Geoffrey Hull's The Malta language question: a case history in cultural imperialism is highly POV - The British tried vainly to usurp the Italian language from the Maltese. I know Hull's writings from his work with Tetum and other languages in East Timor, but the paragraph was far too nationalistic, getting into what the British should and shouldn't have done. Quiensabe 19:14, 31 March 2006 (UTC)
