Strasbourg, 26 September 2022 (TDI): European states are celebrating European Day of Languages 2022, today. The states celebrate the wide range of languages that give the European continent its uniqueness.
🎉 Today is the European Day of Languages 🎉
It’s a celebration of the rich tapestry of languages which make our continent so special. Diversity is our strength.
👉 https://t.co/0YXpCVoDEQ#coeedl #EuropeanDayOfLanguages @ECMLCELV pic.twitter.com/Yus2sHIjTS
— Council of Europe (@coe) September 26, 2022
The 46 member nations of the Council of Europe, which represent 700 million people throughout the continent, all encourage people to learn other languages in addition to their academic interests.
This is a reflection of the Council of Europe’s belief that linguistic variety is a tool for fostering greater intercultural understanding and a significant component of the continent’s rich cultural legacy.
As a result, the Council of Europe in Strasbourg encourages multilingualism throughout the continent.
History of European Day of Languages
At the 1997 conference on Language learning for a new Europe, the concept of organizing a campaign to persuade the general public of the importance of learning more languages was born.
European Day of Languages is a part of the Language Policy Programme. On September 26, 2001, the inaugural European Day of Languages was held.
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It served as the centerpiece of the campaign for the European Year of Languages 2001, which was run in conjunction with the European Union. Participating were millions of individuals from 45 member states.
It was such a success that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe agreed, in late 2001, to make this day an annual celebration to be held on September 26 to meet the expectations of many partners.
Significance and Objectives
The European Day of Languages (EDL) aims to raise public awareness of the value of language acquisition to develop multilingualism to achieve a degree of proficiency in several languages.
Moreover, the day also highlights the need to preserve linguistic diversity by encouraging openness to different cultures and languages. European Day of Languages also encourages and supports lifelong language learning for personal development.
Likewise, the day provides a chance to honor all of Europe’s languages, particularly those spoken less frequently and spoken by migrants.
A variety of events, including those for kids, television and radio programs, language workshops, and conferences, are planned around Europe in the celebration of the day.
