Thirty-three events were organised by AEGEE locals to celebrate the European Day of Languages (EDL), and all of them managed to make the Language Interest Group (LIG) proud once again. Although our EDL is officially held on the 17^th of November (which is seven weeks after the official EDL of the Council of Europe, due to the academic calender), AEGEEans were free to organise any kind of event around that date, with a little help from the LIG.

This time, language lovers started gathering from late October until the second half of December. AEGEE-Bamberg and AEGEE-Heidelberg could not get enough with one event, so both of them organised two! It is a remarkable fact that their events reached one thousand young people and successfully fulfilled some of the main objectives of the LIG, such as underlining the importance of multilingualism, promoting and encouraging the learning of foreign languages, improving language skills and various related topics.

Most of the locals organised more than one activity, combining presentations, workshops and discussions with videos or games (language quiz, language tandems, language speed dating, karaokes, tongue twisters, memory games etc). For example, AEGEE-Zagreb members shared their experience in translation with each other, discussed about how translators are perceived and which problems can be encountered during a translation, and they watched a few videos related to the topic. AEGEE-Madrid watched a documentary in foreign languages and afterwards had a discussion about it, while AEGEE-Athina presented the history of languages, had speed courses in five languages and added a language quiz on top of it.

The language quiz was definitely the most popular activity, since it was organized by eleven antennae. The ones by AEGEE-Heidelberg and AEGEE-Bamberg were held during their LTCs, whereas LIG members held one at NWM-Aachen.

The multilingual dinner was the second most common activity, since AEGEE-Heidelberg, AEGEE-Catania, AEGEE-A Coruña, AEGEE-Tenerife, AEGEE-Kraków, AEGEE-Cagliari and AEGEE-Osnabrück organised it and invited foreign students to present typical dishes from their home-country and speak in their own language.

The diversity of spoken languages was different from local to local and it followed their interests, needs and various kinds of creativity. For example, AEGEE-Cagliari mainly focused on the Arabic language, AEGEE-Voronezh on Japanese and Vietnamese, AEGEE-Bilbao put an accent on numerous minority languages, while AEGEE-Pécs mentioned and spoke thirty-three languages in total! Of course acknowledging EDL was significant for every antenna, but it was particularly special for AEGEE-Kyiv, as it was the very first event of the new board. Even though it was a freshman endeavour for them, they did an enviable job by managing to break stereotypes with their members whilst finding a common vision about the importance and benefits of being a polyglot.

More so, LIG would also like to state that the Audit Commission and MIGR team stood out with a celebration of EDL combined with the International Day of Migrant (18^th of December). They presented themselves with the message “I am a migrant” in their mother tongue through an online campaign shared in twelve countries.

It would be legitimate to state that the outcome of the EDL events in 2016 was more than satisfying, and that every antenna managed to meet their own expectations, followed by excellent decision-making. This proves once again that we are on the road to breaking borders. The EDL ventures greatly contribute to forming a collective state of mind that is open to the differences and diversities that we are surrounded with, and, most importantly, that bring us closer together.

Written by Isidora Braljinac, AEGEE-Beograd

The aim of promoting good relations among nationalities, fighting stereotypes and prejudices has always been a worthy one. It is even more now, in a world that is becoming smaller every year. The members of the Language Working Group (LWG) are proud to be part of this work. You will probably ask how the LWG does that, since its primary concern in AEGEE (as the name suggests) is just languages. Actually, the group’s work goes far beyond that.

AEGEE-Praha is fighting against stereotypes

Last year, from October to December, the European Day of Languages (EDL) was held in thirteen AEGEE locals. The Council of Europe celebrates this day in September but since many students still have holidays at that time, a new date was agreed upon which was November 20th. Still, locals could choose any other close date suitable. In fact, some of the locals held several events, like AEGEE-Voronezh and AEGEE-Baki. It looks like it has become a tradition to celebrate this day over weeks (the same happened last year), and as long as the tradition is likely to go into 2015, even more events can be expected this year.

Many locals, supporting the cause of bringing nations together, chose to hold intercultural events, where many languages were spoken and people from different cultures came closer to each other. For example, AEGEE-Catania and AEGEE-Coruña invited participants from other countries to share their food, as well as languages. Native languages and cultures of the participants were also the central point of other antennae’s events, like those by AEGEE-Voronezh, AEGEE-Praha, AEGEE-Napoli, AEGEE-Oviedo, AEGEE-Beograd, AEGEE-Baki and AEGEE-Aachen.

At AEGEE-Kyiv’s event the participants talked about stereotypes and the way you should behave in their countries, AEGEE-Baki, AEGEE-Oviedo and AEGEE-Napoli discussed about language issues and played language games, while AEGEE-Zagreb focused on the French language. In total, the number of nationalities taking part in the events was more than twenty-five. Still, other locals, like AEGEE-Pisa and AEGEE-Minsk opted for the issue of endangered languages. They looked into the problem and tried to find solutions in open discussions. AEGEE-Pisa also used the opportunity to present AEGEE to a broad audience. Still, the EDL is not only about serious talks! Pubs, clubs and movie nights were perfect endings to many of the locals’ events.

AEGEE-Pisa repeated the workshop about endangered languages held at Agora-Cagliari

Antennae later posted photos and descriptions of their events in the EDL Facebook group, which was the place to ask for help during the organisation of the events and to share the success after. The group also helped to enlarge the pool of ideas, ready to be used at any other event, as well as it helped to establish a closer community and to show the readiness of the LWG members to help with language issues and language-related events.

If after reading this article you still do not know what the LWG is about, or want to learn more, head to the website or Facebook page. These enthusiastic people – language-lovers! – are willing to welcome you in their community. They constantly work on a number of projects which await YOUR participation!

Written by Inna Mezentseva, AEGEE-Minsk

Have you ever wondered how many languages are spoken throughout Europe? Do you enjoy listening to other foreign languages despite the fact that you don’t understand a word of them? Have you ever wanted to be involved in a linguistic tandem? If you answered yes to one of these questions, you would have enjoyed one of the events of the European Day of Languages (EDL). EDL is present in AEGEE since 2001, this year events were organised by 17 different AEGEE antennae thoughout our network.

“Learn 6 languages in 90 minutes” was the activity which was organized by AEGEE-Kaiserslautern.

This edition of the EDL had more than 22 languages involved, including 3 non-European languages, and more than 700 participants from 26 nationalities. If all these activities had been held in one place, it would have definitely been impossible to choose only one to attend: basic language presentations were carried out by AEGEE-Beograd, AEGEE-Voronezh and others; movies in original version were projected in AEGEE-Padova and AEGEE-Moskva; the typical APErasmus from AEGEE-Bergamo concluded with a native speaking video; language and cultural stereotype quizzes were held in AEGEE-Roma and AEGEE-Milano; typical food and drinks from each country plus linguistic tandems were organized by AEGEE-Las Palmas and AEGEE-A Coruña; “Learn 6 languages in 90 minutes” was the activity from AEGEE-Kaiserlautern; AEGEE-Torino decided to sing in different languages, and finally AEGEE-Kraków organized a city game with native speakers. So you see, it would have been difficult, to pick just one interesting workshop…

AEGEE-Voronezh organized some cultural and linguistic presentations.

It is great to see that the European Day of Languages has had this huge affluence of participants; above all, these events are a way of making people more aware of the linguistic stereotypes –and consequently the cultural ones– in order to break them and make people more tolerant towards each other. Looking back at all theese events, we can conclude that the 2013 edition of the EDL was a success.

We, the LWG, would like to thank locals who have joined EDL 2013 –you’ve been keeping this activity alive!– and we would like to encourage the whole Network to participate in the new edition in Autumn 2014.

If you are wondering why AEGEE celebrates the EDL in November instead of September – which is when the Council of Europe celebrates it – we’ll tell you: as many students are still having their holidays in September, AEGEE decided to change the dates to make sure that everybody could attend the activities. Even so, every local chooses their own dates and makes their activities last even for a week!

Then, what can you do if having read all this you realize that you are as passionate as we are about languages? You can get to know the Language Working Group! We can bring you in touch with people who are also crazily in love with this topic. So don’t hesitate; cheer up and join us!

Written by Núria Fenoll Domingo, AEGEE-Tarragona & Language Working Group member

This November various AEGEE locals all over Europe were celebrating the annual European Day of Languages (EDL), giving the opportunity to the local community to taste a bit of Europe.

One of those locals was AEGEE-Riga who organised their EDL “Colour languages” already the 11th year in a row. For the first time they went out of the usual school classes and gave the lectures also in a cafe Coffee Inn.

“With every minute we learnt something new, opening ourselves to a completely different culture and immersing into the whirlwind of experiences. We were listening to French music, singing in Italian, learning Georgian children rhymes, getting to know the anthem of Latvia in the sign language, playing Danish games and enjoying loads of other wonderful and useful activities which let us experience 12 different cultures within 3 days,” says Laima Kazeka, President and PR Responsible of AEGEE-Riga.

It is also interesting to know that actually the official European Day of Languages (as organised by the Council of Europe) takes place in September, two months earlier than in AEGEE locals. However, due to the fact that students in various countries start their university later and not every university is open already in September, long time ago AEGEE decided to organise their EDL in November. Various AEGEE locals even choose their own dates and time, making it not only a day, but several days or even a week of languages. And some others do it a bit later – e.g., AEGEE-Eindhoven is just getting to ready for their EDL in December, when they will learn Latvian language as well!

How about your local and EDL? Share your experiences with us in the comment box!

Written by Anita Kalmane, AEGEE-Ogre

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 10^th 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 10^th 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