On 26 September, the EU celebrates the richness of its languages and cultures through the European Day of Languages. This is an opportunity for people, schools and organisations across Europe to discover the benefits of learning new languages and to find out why multilingualism matters.
Europe is home to more than 200 languages. The European Union alone has 24 official languages and more than 60 regional or minority languages. Linguistic diversity is part of our identity and our shared European heritage, and learning languages helps build bridges between people and cultures. Moreover, multilingualism boosts personal fulfilment, improves job opportunities and encourages active citizenship.
The European Day of Languages is therefore not only about celebrating the linguistic diversity that exists in the EU, but also about highlighting the benefits of learning languages.
This year’s theme, “Languages Unite,” focuses on the importance of learning languages in the interests of inclusion, democracy and social cohesion.
The European Day of Languages was launched in 2001 and is celebrated in the EU and beyond. Last year, to mark the 25th anniversary, the Motivation Manifesto was launched, which explains why motivation is so important in the process of learning languages.
The Motivation Manifesto was developed by a joint ECML-European Commission working group, highlights why language learning is important and how motivation plays such a significant role in the learning process. It also identifies the key actors and factors that influence motivation in the context of language learning.
