Académie de la Carpette anglaise
Encyclopedia
The Académie de la Carpette anglaise, which may be translated as the "English Doormat Academy" (the word carpette means both "rug" and "fawner"), is a French organisation that awards an annual prize to "members of the French élite
who distinguish themselves by relentlessly promoting the domination of the English language
over the French language
in France and in European institutions
." Whether admired or despised for its tongue-in-cheek
rhetoric
, the Academy has captured the attention of many in the French-speaking world who genuinely fear that the growing pervasiveness of English will lead to the decline and ultimate demise of French.
The Academy, whose members include well-known literary, scientific and political personalities, was created in 1999 by a group of four French-language associations. In 2001 a second award was introduced to spotlight "key figures and constituent bodies among the European and international nomenklatura
who actively conspire to promote the use of English within European and international institutions". As one member of the Academy put it, its aim is "to reward all those obscure geniuses (...) who are only too ready to say: 'Welcome to our dearly beloved invaders!' as Ceramix proudly proclaimed in the album Asterix and the Big Fight
." Like the Ig Nobel Prize
, the English Doormat Award heaps ridicule on its recipients.
Elite
Elite refers to an exceptional or privileged group that wields considerable power within its sphere of influence...
who distinguish themselves by relentlessly promoting the domination of the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
over the French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
in France and in European institutions
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
." Whether admired or despised for its tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
rhetoric
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
, the Academy has captured the attention of many in the French-speaking world who genuinely fear that the growing pervasiveness of English will lead to the decline and ultimate demise of French.
The Academy, whose members include well-known literary, scientific and political personalities, was created in 1999 by a group of four French-language associations. In 2001 a second award was introduced to spotlight "key figures and constituent bodies among the European and international nomenklatura
Nomenklatura
The nomenklatura were a category of people within the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc countries who held various key administrative positions in all spheres of those countries' activity: government, industry, agriculture, education, etc., whose positions were granted only with approval by the...
who actively conspire to promote the use of English within European and international institutions". As one member of the Academy put it, its aim is "to reward all those obscure geniuses (...) who are only too ready to say: 'Welcome to our dearly beloved invaders!' as Ceramix proudly proclaimed in the album Asterix and the Big Fight
Asterix and the Big Fight
Asterix and the Big Fight is a French comic book, the seventh in the Asterix comic book series. It was written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. Its original French title is Le Combat des chefs and it was first published in serial form in Pilote magazines, issues 261-302, in 1964...
." Like the Ig Nobel Prize
Ig Nobel Prize
The Ig Nobel Prizes are an American parody of the Nobel Prizes and are given each year in early October for ten unusual or trivial achievements in scientific research. The stated aim of the prizes is to "first make people laugh, and then make them think"...
, the English Doormat Award heaps ridicule on its recipients.
Winners of the English Doormat Award
- 1999: Louis SchweitzerLouis SchweitzerLouis Schweitzer may refer to:*Louis Schweitzer , chairman and former CEO of Renault*Louis Schweitzer , paper industrialist and philanthropist, donated WBAI to Pacifica Radio...
, CEO of RenaultRenaultRenault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
, for imposing the use of American EnglishAmerican EnglishAmerican English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
in its internal meeting reports. The runner-up was Claude AllègreClaude AllègreClaude Allègre is a French politician and scientist.- Scientific work :The main scientific area of Claude Allègre is geochemistry....
, French minister of education, for declaring that "French people must stop considering English as a foreign language." - 2000: Alain RichardAlain RichardAlain Richard, born on 29 August 1945, in Paris, is a French politician. An alumnus of the Ecole nationale d'administration, he was mayor of Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône and member of the French parliament, elected in Val d'Oise. A member of the French socialist party and ally of Lionel Jospin, he was the...
, French minister of defence, for making it compulsory for French military personnel to speak English within the EurocorpsEurocorpsEurocorps is a multinational standing army corps available for the European Union and the Atlantic Alliance.Headquartered in Strasbourg, France, the force was created in May 1992, activated in October 1993 and declared operational in 1995....
, which has no English-speaking nations among its members. - 2001: Jean-Marie MessierJean-Marie MessierJean-Marie Messier is a French businessman who was Chairman and Chief Executive of the multinational media conglomerate Vivendi SA until 2002...
, CEO of Vivendi Universal, for his unconditional promotion of English for all internal communication purposes. - 2002: Jean-Marie ColombaniJean-Marie ColombaniJean-Marie Colombani is a French journalist, and was the editor of the daily newspaper Le Monde from 1994 until 2007.-Biography:...
, editor of Le MondeLe MondeLe Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
, for publishing a weekly (untranslated) selection from the New York Times, in English. - 2003: The HEC Group, whose general manager, Bernard Ramanantsoa, declared: "To say that French is an international language of communication is laughable in this day and age."
- 2004: Claude Thélot, president of the Commission for National Debate on the Future of Schools, for declaring that English as a language of international communication should enjoy equal status with French in the school curriculum, and for recommending that undubbed American soaps should be broadcast on French television as an aid to learning English. Another nominee was Claude Simonet, president of the French Football FederationFrench Football FederationThe French Football Federation is the governing body of association football in France, as well as the overseas departments and territories . It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital Paris...
, who adopted the Jackson 5's hit "Can You Feel ItCan You Feel It"Can You Feel It" is a recording by funk and soul group The Jacksons, recorded in March 1980 and released on September 22, 1980 as the first track on their album Triumph....
" as the anthem of the French team. - 2005: France TelecomFrance TélécomFrance Telecom S.A. is the main telecommunications company in France, the third-largest in Europe and one of the largest in the world. It currently employs about 180,000 people and has 192.7 million customers worldwide . In 2010 the group had revenue of €45.5 billion...
, the telephone company run by Didier LombardDidier LombardDidier Lombard is a French businessman. Between February 2005 and March 2010 he was Chairman and CEO of France Télécom. In 2010 he resigned as CEO, retaining the chairmanship....
, for putting in place services and products with English descriptions (Business Talk, Live-Zoom, Family Talk...). This entry defeated, by a vote of eight to four, the entry for Yves DaudignyYves DaudignyYves Daudigny is a member of the Senate of France. He represents the Aisne dpeartment , in the Picardie region, and is a member of the Socialist Party.-References:*...
, president of the consul-general for the département of AisneAisneAisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
, for his publicity campaign "L'Aisne, it's Open". - 2006 : The Constitutional Council of FranceConstitutional Council of FranceThe Constitutional Council is the highest constitutional authority in France. It was established by the Constitution of the Fifth Republic on 4 October 1958, and its duty is to ensure that the principles and rules of the constitution are upheld.Its main activity is to rule on whether proposed...
for its "numerous violations of article 2 of the Constitution which establishes French as the language of the French Republic" and for having "confirmed the London Protocol on patentsLondon Agreement (2000)The London Agreement, formally the Agreement on the application of Article 65 of the Convention on the Grant of European Patents and sometimes referred to as the London Protocol, is a patent law agreement concluded in London on 17 October 2000 and aimed at reducing the translation costs of European...
as consistent with the Constitution, allowing a text in English or German to have legal effect in France." - 2007 : Christine LagardeChristine LagardeChristine Madeleine Odette Lagarde is a French lawyer and the managing director of the International Monetary Fund since July 5, 2011...
, Minister of Economy, for having communicated at times with her staff in English, to the point that, Le Canard enchaînéLe Canard enchaînéLe Canard enchaîné is a satirical newspaper published weekly in France. Founded in 1915, it features investigative journalism and leaks from sources inside the French government, the French political world and the French business world, as well as many jokes and humorous cartoons.-Early...
revealed, it allegedly earned her the nickname of "Christine the Guard". - 2008 : Valérie PécresseValérie PécresseValérie Pécresse is a French politician. She has been deputy of the Yvelines since May 16, 2002, Minister for Higher Education and Research from May 18, 2007 to June 2011 and is currently in charge of the budget as the Minister of the Budget since then...
, Minister of Higher Education and Research, for saying that the French language was in decline and that the taboo of English in EU institutions, as well as in French universities, had to be broken, to make intensive education in that language compulsory (which notably goes against the Élysée TreatyÉlysée TreatyÉlysée Treaty also known as the Treaty of Friendship, was concluded by Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer in 1963. It set the seal on reconciliation between the two countries...
of 1963). - 2009 : Richard DescoingsRichard DescoingsRichard Descoings is a French civil servant. He is currently serving as the Director of the Paris Institute of Political Studies , and as such as the Chief Administrator of the National Foundation of Political Science...
, director of the Institut d'Études Politiques de ParisInstitut d'Études Politiques de ParisThe Institut d'études politiques de Paris , simply referred to as Sciences Po , is a public research and higher education institution in Paris, France, specialised in the social sciences. It has the status of grand établissement, which allows its admissions process to be highly selective...
, for imposing courses in English only in some programmes offered by the IEPP, and for communicating in English with the French lycée of Madrid.
Winners of the special Jury Award
- 2001: LegoLegoLego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
, the DanishDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
toy company, for showcasing its products in English, in France and all over the world, with slogans such as "Explore being me", "Explore together", Explore logic" and "Explore imagination." - 2002: Romano ProdiRomano ProdiRomano Prodi is an Italian politician and statesman. He served as the Prime Minister of Italy, from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008...
, president of the European CommissionEuropean CommissionThe European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
, for defying community rules by never missing an opportunity to promote English as the one and only language for labelling food products and negotiating with other European countries. - 2003: Pascal LamyPascal LamyPascal Lamy is the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, a French political advisor, a businessman, and a former European Commissioner for Trade...
, for his systematic use of English in defiance of community rules, while acting as European commissionerEuropean CommissionThe European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
. - 2004: Jean-Claude TrichetJean-Claude TrichetJean-Claude Trichet is a French civil servant who was the president of the European Central Bank, a position he held from 2003 to 2011. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Bank for International Settlements...
, president of the European Central BankEuropean Central BankThe European Central Bank is the institution of the European Union that administers the monetary policy of the 17 EU Eurozone member states. It is thus one of the world's most important central banks. The bank was established by the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1998, and is headquartered in Frankfurt,...
, for presenting the ECB's policy statements in English at the European ParliamentEuropean ParliamentThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
and for declaring "I am not a Frenchman" (in English) when taking office. - 2005: Josep BorrellJosep BorrellJosep Borrell Fontelles is a Spanish politician. He was nominated President of the European University Institute on 12 December 2008, and assumed this position in January 2010. Borrell was President of the European Parliament from 20 July 2004 until 16 January 2007...
, president of the European ParliamentEuropean ParliamentThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
, for favouring English at a session of the Euro-Mediterranean parliamentary assemblyEuro-Mediterranean Parliamentary AssemblyThe Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly , established in Naples on 3 December 2003 by decision of the Ministerial Conference of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, is the most recent institution of the Barcelona Process. The EMPA opened its proceedings in Vouliagmeni on 22 and 23 March 2004...
after having just presided at RabatRabatRabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
in MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
without having translated the working papers. - 2006: Ernest-Antoine SeillièreErnest-Antoine SeillièreErnest-Antoine Seillière de Laborde, born 20 December 1937 in Neuilly-sur-Seine is an entrepreneur and the heir to the Wendel empire ....
, president of the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of EuropeUnion of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of EuropeFounded in 1958, BUSINESSEUROPE represents small, medium and large companies through its members, 41 leading national business organisations in 35 European countries working together to achieve growth and competitiveness in Europe...
, for having delivered a speech to the European CouncilEuropean CouncilThe European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in English in March 2006. - 2007: The police of GenevaGenevaGeneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, for an advertisement United Police of Geneva (title in English). - 2008 : EurostatEurostatEurostat is a Directorate-General of the European Commission located in Luxembourg. Its main responsibilities are to provide the European Union with statistical information at European level and to promote the integration of statistical methods across the Member States of the European Union,...
, the Statistical Service of the European Commission, for giving up German and French to broadcast since April 2008 its publication Statistiques en bref in English only. - 2009 : Jean-Louis BorlooJean-Louis BorlooJean-Louis Borloo is a French politician, and was the French Minister for Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Town and Country Planning between 2007 and 2010.-Professional résumé:Education...
, Minister of State, Minister of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Sea, for invoking emergency in order to sign the Treaty for International Renewable Energy AgencyInternational Renewable Energy AgencyThe International Renewable Energy Agency was founded in 2009 to promote widespread and increased adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy. IRENA facilitates access to all relevant renewable energy information, including technical data...
whose sole working language is English, while five important countries are still withholding signatures.