European Day of Languages

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N-Media-Images, license: Fotolia.com

The European Day of Languages is celebrated on September 26, 2012. It is a day to alert the public to the importance of language learning to increase pluralism and intercultural understanding. Furthermore it shall provide the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe and encourage lifelong language learning. The day is celebrated annually. The European Day of Languages was proclaimed by the Council of Europe on December 6, 2001. On this day a range of events are organized across Europe. Among this are happenings for children, television and radio programs, as well as language classes and conferences. There are about 225 indigenous languages in Europe – roughly 3% of the world's total. Since the end of the 18th century, the most widespread language of Europe (both in terms of geography and the number of native speakers) has been Russian, which replaced French.

In, EDL (shortened)

This week the Guardian Teacher Network has resources to help children appreciate the excitement of learning a foreign language. Eighty-one per cent of adults regret not having learned another language and while of course it's never too late, children do have the advantage in language learning. The European Day of Languages is a wonderful opportunity to inspire young people and get them excited about learning languages and there are some excellent resources on the Guardian Teacher Network to help. From language speed dating to running a mini-Eurovision song contest, the European Commission education team have some useful ideas on how you can mark the European Day of Languages and have created a set of inspiring resources to celebrate European languages on 26 September and beyond. Read the full article so as to access the list of resources provided.

In, The Guardian (shortened)

As a 10th form teacher, I will present this topic to my students only in the second term, as it is by that time that I'll be lecturing the unit 'A world of many languages.' It will be a great opportunity to test some of the resources suggested above. What about you?