The European Day of Languages: How did you celebrate?

27 Sep 2018

As proclaimed by the Council of Europe on the 6th of December 2001, The European Day of Languages happens every year on the 26th of September.

To pay tribute to this special day, hundreds of students and education enthusiasts took to their social media accounts and posted their thoughts and celebratory photos.

By acknowledging the many diverse cultures and languages that our world has to offer, this was a day of togetherness and joint appreciation.

Here’s how some Twitter users chose to celebrate the day…

In London, there was an event dedicated to the shared love of languages. Pairing professional speakers with language education enthusiasts, it seemed to be an enjoyable experience for all!

At #LanguageMasters18 in London, taking part in a panel on language learning! Amazing way to celebrate #EuropeanDayofLanguages pic.twitter.com/dVXDx9RWvV

— Richard Simcott (@SpeakinFluently) September 26, 2018

One user chose to celebrate the day by reading a book in another language! This is a great way to learn a new communication form and broaden your mind with new novels.

Happy #europeandayoflanguages one and all! I just finished a life challenge of mine… to read each #HarryPotter book in a different language. What is your favourite book to read in another language? #MFLtwitterati #geekout #literature pic.twitter.com/mjehPwXjQL

— Natalie Arnold (@nataliecarnold) September 26, 2018

The British Council took an innovative approach to the celebrations and asked members of the public to read out tongue twisters in different languages. The video is a must-see!

We asked people in London to have a go at reading some tongue twisters in European languages to celebrate #EuropeanDayOfLanguages.

Which of the tongue twisters are you best at? https://t.co/SY4unV8wba

— British Council (@BritishCouncil) September 26, 2018

Students from the University of London demonstrated a vast array of greetings in different languages in this video.

In this video University of London colleagues offer greetings in a number of languages, showcasing just a small sample of those spoken by our staff. Happy #EuropeanDayofLanguages pic.twitter.com/9Gh7lGxKVP

— University of London (@LondonU) September 26, 2018

It wasn’t only international students or educational experts who celebrated this special day, start-up companies like Culture Trip provided readers with intriguing and factual information about the event.

This incredibly cool map grants you a visual insight into the world of languages.

This map is a fascinating look into the global spread of language, and represents the 4.1bn people who have one of the most popular languages as their mother tongue – shape represents number of people, and colour represents region. https://t.co/BxtnlZ3ybG #EuropeanDayofLanguages pic.twitter.com/5zeXI4wFn6

— Culture Trip (@CultureTrip) September 26, 2018

If you missed out on The European Day of Languages, there’s no need to worry!

This cultural event happens every year on the 26th of September and is a great date to write down in your diary- especially if you want to organise a campus community event and bring both local and international students together.