European Day of Languages
Each year on 26 September, the European Day of Languages celebrates the linguistic diversity of a continent with over 200 European languages, 24 EU official languages and around 60 regional/minority languages. This sepcial day raises awareness of the wide variety of languages in Europe and promotes cultural and liguistic diversity. In Hong Kong we celebrate the EU Day of Languages on 25 September.
In Hong Kong, the European Day of Languages is celebrated with a "Speak dating" event organised in cooperation with the European Union National Institutes for Culture such as Alliance Francaise, British Council, Goethe-Institut Hongkong ans Italian Cultural institute of Hong Kong. The EU Consulates-General also take part in this event as a reminder of the many benefits of language learning and how it can break down cultural barriers and open the door to new friendships and professional opportunities.
In 2015, the European Day of Languages offered free language sessions in 14 languages: Czech, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, and Swedish.
The idea behind the "Speak Dating" concept is simple: You learn two or three phrases for 3 minutes, get a stamp in your "European language passport", and then move on to the next language booth. You will win small prizes after successfully finishing your language session. In the process you will also be able to gather more information about the cultural and linguistic diversity of Europe and where to study the European language you like.
Find photos from the event on our Facebook page.
For further information