The European Day of Languages

What is the European Day of Languages? The European Year of Languages 2001, jointly organised by the Council of Europe and the European Union, as successful in in!ol!ing "illions of people across #$ participating countries% &ts acti!ities celebrated linguistic di!ersity in Europe and pro"oted language learning% 'ollo ing the success of the Year the Council of Europe declared a European Day of Languages to be celebrated on 2(th of )epte"ber each year% The general objecti!es of the European Day of Languages are* 1%+lerting the public to the i"portance of language learning and di!ersifying the range of languages learnt in order to increase plurilingualis" and intercultural understanding, 2%-ro"oting the rich linguistic and cultural di!ersity of Europe, and fostered, hich "ust be preser!ed

.%Encouraging lifelong language learning in and out of school, hether for study purposes, for professional needs, for purposes of "obility or for pleasure and e/changes% 2( )epte"ber 2011 "ar0ed the 10th anni!ersary of the European Day of Languages 1EDL2 celebrated at the Council of Europe and throughout its #3 "e"ber states% Who is the European Day of Languages for? The Council of Europe is hoping that this Day ill be celebrated both by authorities in its "e"ber states and potential partners at the follo ing le!els* 4a"ong policy4"a0ers 1specific "easures or discussions on language policy issues, for instance2 4a"ong the general public 1a areness4raising on the o!erall objecti!es of the Day, including the i"portance of lifelong language learning, starting at any age, in educational establish"ents, at or0, etc2, 4in the !oluntary sector 1specific actions by and5or for 678s, associations, co"panies, etc2% Why a European Day of Languages? There ha!e ne!er been "ore opportunities to or0 or study in a different European country 4 but lac0 of language co"petence pre!ents "any people fro" ta0ing ad!antage of the"%

7lobalisation and patterns of business o nership "ean that citi9ens increasingly need foreign language s0ills to or0 effecti!ely ithin their o n countries% English alone is no longer enough% Europe is rich in languages 4 there are o!er 200 European languages and "any "ore spo0en by citi9ens hose fa"ily origin is fro" other continents% This is an i"portant resource to be recognised, used and cherished% Language learning brings benefits to young and old 4 you are ne!er too old to learn a language and to enjoy the opportunities it opens up% E!en if you only 0no a fe ords of the language of the country that you !isit 1for e/a"ple on holiday2, this enables you to "a0e ne friends and contacts% Learning other peoples: languages is a ay of helping us to understand each other better and o!erco"e our cultural differences% Objectives Language s0ills are a necessity and a right for E;E<Y86E = that is one of the "ain "essages of the European Day of Languages% The o!erall objecti!es are to raise a areness of* Europe>s rich linguistic di!ersity, hich "ust be preser!ed and enhanced, idely used

the need to di!ersify the range of languages people learn 1to include less languages2, hich results in plurilingualis",

the need for people to de!elop so"e degree of proficiency in t o languages or "ore to be able to play their full part in de"ocratic citi9enship in Europe% ? the Co""ittee of @inisters decided to declare a European Day of Languages to be celebrated on 2(th )epte"ber each year% The Co""ittee reco""ended that the Day be organised in a decentralised and fle/ible "anner according to the ishes and resources of "e"ber states, hich ould thus enable the" to better define their o n approaches, and that the Council of Europe propose a co""on the"e each year% The Co""ittee of @inisters in!ites the European Union to join the Council of Europe in this initiati!e% &t is to be hoped that the Day ill be celebrated ith the co4operation of all rele!ant partners% Decision of the Co""ittee of @inisters of the Council of Europe, )trasbourg 133(th "eeting = ( Dece"ber 20012