European Day of Languages

What the day is

The European Day of Languages is observed on September 26. It was established by the Council of Europe to encourage language learning at any age, to support multilingualism, and to draw attention to the number of languages spoken across the continent.

The framing is deliberately wide. It covers national languages, regional and minority languages, sign languages and the languages of migrant communities, on the argument that all of them are part of Europe's linguistic makeup rather than exceptions to it.

Origin and background

The day dates from the European Year of Languages in 2001, run jointly by the Council of Europe and the European Union. When the year ended, the Council of Europe kept the date as an annual observance, and it has been marked every September since by schools, universities, libraries and cultural institutes.

The scale it points at is genuinely large. Europe has well over 200 languages in everyday use, a number that dwarfs the count of official state languages, and many of the smaller ones have few remaining speakers. Minority and regional languages, from Sámi to Welsh to Romani, are a recurring focus for exactly that reason.

The Council's other long-running contribution here is the Common European Framework of Reference, the A1-to-C2 scale that learners see on courses and certificates across the world.

How to take part

Events are usually organized locally, and a great many of them are free.

• Start something small. Twenty minutes a day on an app or a phrasebook is the form most adult learning actually takes.
• Learn ten words in a language you have never studied. The day is aimed at breadth as much as fluency.
• Look for events at local universities, libraries and cultural institutes, which often run taster sessions on or near the date.
• Watch something in another language with subtitles in that same language rather than in English.
• Talk to someone in their first language, even badly. Most people respond warmly to the attempt.

If you already speak more than one language, the day is also a reasonable prompt to revive one you have let slide.