Every year since 2001, the European Day of Languages has been celebrated on September 26. It was put together by the European Union and the Council of Europe to bring together the different cultures of Europe and encourage language learning.
What is the European Day of Languages?
The general objectives of the European Day of Languages according to the European Center for Modern Languages (ECML) are to;
- Make the public aware of how important learning a language is and diversifying what languages are learned in order to encourage multilingualism and better cultural understanding.
- Promote the wealth of culture and language that the European Union has to offer.
- Encourage life-long learning, even outside of school
ECML points out that there are many job opportunities for Europeans within the E.U. However, not knowing the language prevents many people from moving to other places for their jobs, even though they’re not all that far.
Europe is home to so many beautiful languages, from the romance languages to the Slavic languages, there’s a mix of everything in there.
What language should I start learning for the day of languages?
Some languages for you to consider learning to celebrate European Day of Languages are;
Green Climate Change Infographic by Mackenzie Xanthos
Russian
Did you know that Russia has more than 106 million speakers just in Europe? This isn’t only due to Russia’s size. Russia is a political powerhouse and is rapidly growing in the business world. The Russian language may seem intimidating but it’s actually easier than you think.
German
There are around 97 million German speakers throughout Europe. German is actually one of the most useful languages to know when doing business in the E.U. Russian is a great choice to learn this year.
Some consider German to be “the money” language. They have the third strongest economy and are the #1 exporter in Europe. Check out these English words to avoid when you’re speaking German to make sure you sound like a native.
French
French has roughly 66 million speakers in Europe. It’s the official language of 29 different countries! These include Belgium, Monaco, Switzerland, Canada, and multiple countries in Africa.
French will be easy for you to learn if you already know any of the other romance languages.
Italian
Throughout Europe, there are about 65 million Italian speakers. Italian is the official language of San Marino, the Vatican City, and Croatia. This poetic language is the language of food, art, and fashion.
Italian culture is so ingrained in American culture, we’re willing to bet you know some Italian phrases already!
English
There are about 60 million English speakers in Europe. It’s spoken in 44 different countries around the world. No matter where you are in Europe, it’s likely you’ll find an English speaker!
Spanish
There may only be about 66 million Spanish speakers in Europe but there are actually about 570 million speakers worldwide! The language was originally from Europe but slowly spread elsewhere as time went on. It’s now the official language of 20 different countries and recognized in many others.
What language are you going to take up learning on the European Day of Languages? Buy our courses now for a special price by using the code EDOL2019 at checkout!
Andrie Steliou
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