The European Day Of Languages
European Day Of Languages
In Europe, many different languages are spoken – I’m not just talking about English, French and Spanish, the main languages taught in schools in the United Kingdom. In fact, there are over 225 indigenous languages spoken in Europe alone (which is roughly 3% of the world’s total – what an amazing fact!).
Now, some people think they don’t need to speak any other language than their native tongue – but if you are bilingual, or even multilingual, it opens up so many more opportunities for you. Interestingly, at least half of the world’s population can speak two languages.
Origin
The European Day of Languages is celebrated each year on 26 September. It was set up in 2001 to celebrate the diversity of language-speaking in Europe – and to raise the profile of speaking different languages, too. You might just think that this is something that is important in schools or colleges. But no – it is important for everyone, and everyone including you can get involved in some way or another.
You could try learning some vocabulary from different European languages. Perhaps you might enjoy watching a foreign language television programme, or listening to a radio station in a different language. You could even borrow, or buy, a book in another language and have a go at reading it. Whatever you do, Thursday 26 September is not just any other Thursday – it is a day to celebrate the richness and diversity of languages that we have in Europe.
Why As Well As How
Understanding different languages is not just about knowing how to speak them. You can also learn a lot about different cultures, their histories and the origins of languages. You might even find that you enjoy a foreign language so much you want to make it part of your daily life, or pursue a career using that language.
So, whatever you do on The European Day of Languages, I hope you think about the importance of different languages and why they are important. That just leaves me to say…
Have fun! Or, I could say ¡Divertirse!, Góða skemmtun! or perhaps Bíodh spraoi agat!*
*Bonus points for figuring out the different languages above.
Oxford Open Learning offer the chance to study several languages at different levels, listed below. You can also Contact Us.
