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September 26th • Linguistics & Culture

European Day of Languages

Jointly organised by the Council of Europe and the EU, this day celebrates the 225 indigenous languages of Europe. In an increasingly globalised world, learning a language is the ultimate way to foster intercultural understanding and protect heritage. Today, we debate the power of being a polyglot, the global dominance of English, and whether we should spend more effort protecting endangered minority languages.

A collage of different languages and scripts

Speaking Discussion

  • How many languages can you speak? What is the dream language you would love to master one day?
  • Why do you think English has become the global lingua franca? Is this a good thing, or does it threaten other cultures?
  • In your opinion, does learning a new language actually change the way you think or view the world?
  • Should governments spend taxpayer money to protect endangered languages that only a few hundred people speak?
  • How has technology (like Google Translate or AI) changed the motivation for people to learn a second language?
  • If you had to move to a country where you didn't speak a single word of the language, how would you survive the first week?

Activity 1: The language exchange App

The Task: You are the Founder of a new Tech Startup. You want to create an app that makes language learning addictive.

What is your unique feature that will beat Duolingo?

Activity 2: Rapid Fire Sentences

Complete the sentence and justify it in 20 seconds.

  • "The hardest part of learning English is..."
  • "I think being bilingual is..."
  • "In my opinion, the best way to learn a language is..."