What is language for you? Is it only a tool of communication? Or it is a loud speaker of your soul? A core element of mutual understanding in the world? Many of those who put into a concept of language much more than only a human ability to speak celebrated this year the 10th anniversary of the European Day of Languages (EDL) with AEGEE.
From Las Palmas to Yerevan, from Tartu to Cagliari – 19 AEGEE locals all over Europe organised and held their events devoted to EDL. This year EDL gathered around one thousand of language lovers. The organisers involved nearly 30 different languages and about 60 external lectors and speakers in their program. Conferences and discussions about language policy and minorities, for instance, organized by AEGEE-Udine and AEGEE-Salerno, speaking clubs like arranged as weekly meetings by AEGEE-Torino, language classes as offered by AEGEE-Ogre, AEGEE-Moskva, AEGEE-Ryazan, AEGEE-Firenze and others, combined with fairs, quizzes and language games, competitions and contests, foreign movies, live music performance, dances, cooking workshops – that is not all what was included in the program of EDL celebration in the end of November this year! Among them are Italian, Spanish and Russian language courses organized by AEGEE-Maribor that will last until late February 2012.
Language course, Euroopa Keeltepäev AEGEE-Tartuga
All these activities definitely made AEGEE more visible for external students. Some of the projects, for example, organised by AEGEE-Oviedo, appeared in local newspapers and on radio. Organisers got a lot of great feedback from participants, which is the best appreciation of their immense work. That is why many locals already decided to prepare another bunch of EDL activities next year. We are happy that for some locals EDL from it’s very beginning became a good old tradition – this year AEGEE-Riga held their 10th EDL event!
It is great to see that during EDL events participants got a chance not only to obtain some knowledge, but also to meet new people, get insight into their culture, traditions and daily life. And that means that the mission of EDL – which is to foster mutual understanding and promote learning of foreign languages – is accomplished!
Written by Nadia Shulga (Schneider), AEGEE Berlin & EDL Team
Conference “Multilingualism and young people: a dialogue on the rise” by AEGEE-Cagliari