Every year since 2001, the European Commission and the Council of Europe celebrate the European Day of Languages (EDL) on 26 September. The aim of this initiative is to raise awareness of the wide variety of languages in Europe; advocate for cultural heritage & linguistic diversity; encourage language learning; and promote translation, interpretation and other language-related professions.
Multilingualism is one of the founding principles of the European Union (EU) and a key element of Europe's cultural identity. The EU alone has 24 official languages, and it is estimated that there are more than 225 indigenous languages scattered across the continent. In this regard, Spain boasts a prosperous linguistic landscape, with Spanish, Catalan/Valencian, Galician, Basque, Aranese, Asturleonese and Aragonese being the predominant native tongues.
Nurturing knowledge of European languages is one way of developing successful contacts between different linguistic groups, promoting intercultural understanding and planting the seeds for more tolerant and empathetic societies. Also, the more languages you speak, the more chances you have of starting a career in another EU country. Isn’t that appealing? At OLS you have the opportunity to do just that, by accessing courses and materials to learn up to 29 European languages!
Throughout September and October, the European Union has organised numerous events in which you can participate. Check out here the list of activities to see what is happening around you and join the EDL 2022 celebrations!
Which is your mother tongue and which other languages do you speak? Share with us in this Discussion topic!
¡Feliz Día Europeo de las Lenguas! :-)
Happy European Day of Languages! :-)
Bernat, OLS Community Manager – Spanish
P.S. Craving for some authentic Spanish food? Check out our new blog post, which is the first of a series of articles in which we will travel through the rich and varied culinary landscape of Spain. ¡Buen provecho!