The European Union (EU) is in urgent need of translators and has made a plea for such services on YouTube. Because the bloc has 23 official languages, it is in desperate need of interpreters and translators.

Most individuals in Europe now speak English as a second language and native English speakers are failing to learn other languages. This has resulted in the EU finding it more difficult to find staff to interpret and translate at meetings and to transform documents into English.

According to European Commission spokesperson Pietro Petrucci, "On the one hand, English is the language which is most in demand for translation and interpretation, but on the other, fewer and fewer English speakers are learning other languages."

According to the commission, 45 percent of EU documents were drafted in English in 1997; however, that percentage jumped a large proportion by 2006 when document translation climbed to 72 percent. Thus, the YouTube video is aimed at convincing European children that a career in linguistics can be a great career.

17 February 2009