{"id":5462,"date":"2026-09-26T04:52:49","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T03:52:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/?p=5462"},"modified":"2026-09-25T15:04:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T14:04:16","slug":"european-day-of-languages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2026\/09\/26\/european-day-of-languages\/","title":{"rendered":"European Day of Languages"},"content":{"rendered":"

European Day of Languages<\/strong><\/h1>\n

European Day of Languages is celebrated on 26th<\/sup> September every year. Established in 2001, it is a joint initiative by the Council of Europe and the European Commission. Both organisations worked together in 2001 to organise the European Year of Languages. Aimed at the general public to encourage lifelong learning, the European Year of Languages proved to be a phenomenal success, with so many people from 45 countries taking part in activities to promote language learning and protect cultural diversity. The Council of Europe announced that the European Day of Languages should be recognised every year thereafter. It has since been celebrated throughout the EU and further afield.<\/p>\n

Aims of the European Day of Languages<\/h2>\n

The aim of the European Day of Languages is to encourage people of all ages to learn a language. It is promoted by a wide number of organisations, including education ministries, language institutes, cultural organisations, schools and community groups throughout Europe. The theme for European Day of Languages 2026 is \u201cLanguages Unite!\u201d, celebrating the many ways languages bring people together, improve understanding, and foster connections across cultures and communities.<\/p>\n

The European Union has 24 official languages, although there are estimated to be over 225 languages across Europe.\u00a0 The 24 official EU languages are: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish. Croatian became the most recent official language of the European Union, bringing the total number of official EU languages to 24 in 2013. Some countries have two official languages e.g., Welsh and English in Wales, Basque and Spanish in the Basque country and Catalan and Spanish in Catalonia.<\/p>\n

Learning Languages<\/h3>\n

Learning languages can be fun and can help us to discover more about other cultures and establish good relationships with others. There are many significant benefits to learning a language. The act of learning a language keeps your brain active and can aid memory, concentration and creativity. It makes travelling easier and allows you to feel more at home when you are overseas. Even a little knowledge of a language can help break down barriers.<\/p>\n

People from other countries often appreciate it when you try to use their language, and it\u2019s okay if you make a mistake \u2013 it’s all part of the learning process! You can increase your cultural understanding by reading books, watching films, television and news programmes in a foreign language. It can also boost your self-confidence and develop your social skills by enabling you to communicate, interact and cooperate with others, which, in turn, could lead to greater employment opportunities. Having another language makes living, working and studying within Europe more accessible. The EU language policy recommends that pupils in schools be taught two additional languages in addition to their mother tongue. It is believed that this will increase their chances of living fulfilling lives, improve their employment prospects and allow them to actively participate in society.<\/p>\n

Why not celebrate this year\u2019s European Day of Languages by committing to learning a language? It can be as simple as learning a few conversational phrases for a forthcoming holiday to help you communicate. There is no single way to learn a language. Everyone learns differently, so here are a few hints and tips to help you get started. Try different methods and see which one, or which combination, works best for you.<\/p>\n