Europe is rich in languages – there are over 200 European languages in daily use and many other languages are spoken by citizens whose family origins are in other continents. Respect for cultural and linguistic diversity and support for language learning are at the core of the work of the Council of Europe.”

There are about  24 Official European languages spoken in the European Union and 6500 languages (many of which are spoken in several dialects)  spoken in the world today. These languages offer us an identity and overall makes this world more beautiful .

Each nation understands its language capacity and needs differently, but we all agree that the ability to speak languages in addition to English will continue to be a critical skill in a shrinking world.”   Recently I was asked what I think the importance of languages is and I thought about  the reasons . I, personally, think learning languages is essential and invaluabe. Languages a real  passaport to another world. With a language you can get to know and get involved with the culture. You can meet people from that country and talk to anyone. It is  also a sign of respect and creates instant connections. One of the most important reason for the importance of languages is that they are a visible and powerful indicator of groups identity, it has accurately been recognized as an important way to mantain links with one’s cultural past and to protect one’s cultural uniqueness in the present.

An initiative of the Council of Europe, the European Day of Languages has been celebrated on 26 September every year since 2001. The purpose of the day is to highlight the linguistic diversity in Europe, and to encourage language learning and multilingualism

A range of events are organised across Europe: activities for and with children, television and radio programmes, language classes and conferences. To celebrate the 2021 European Day of Languages, you are warmly invited to join an online conference on Monday 27 September from 12:00 until 14:00 CEST (Central European Summer Time).

https://ec.europa.eu/education/events/european-day-of-languages-2021_en

You can find out more, and download resources from the Council of Europe’s European Day of Languages website. Routes into Languages also have a range of resources to support language learning. Further details at: www.routesintolanguages.ac.uk/resources/library For more teaching resources on the Global Dimension database to help your school celebrate the global dimension to language learning, take a look through the resources listed under Languages.