European Day of Languages Presented by EUi NAPA

European Day of Languages Presented by EUi NAPA 1

Speaking points: ¡ ¡ European Day of Languages. Why is it important to learn languages? How to learn language? How EUi can assist you… Interesting facts about languages – game. 2

European Day of Languages The highlight of the European Year of Languages 2001 was the European Day of Languages, which was celebrated for the first time on 26 September 2001 in all 45 states taking part in the campaign. On the eve of the closing event of the Year, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe decided to declare the European Day of Languages to be celebrated on 26 th September each year. Its aim is to encourage language learning across Europe. 3

The general objectives are: ¡ ¡ ¡ to alert the public to the importance of language learning and diversify the range of languages learned in order to increase plurilingualism and intercultural understanding; to promote the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe; to encouraging lifelong language learning in and out of school, whether for study purposes, for professional needs, for purposes of mobility or for pleasure and exchanges. 4

Why a European Day of Languages? ¡ ¡ There have never been more opportunities to work or study in a different European country - but lack of language competence prevents many people from taking advantage of them. Language learning brings benefits to young and old - you are never too old to learn a language and to enjoy the opportunities it opens up. Even if you only know a few words of the language of the country that you visit (for example on holiday), this enables you to make new friends and contacts. Learning other peoples' languages is a way of helping us to understand each other better and overcome our cultural differences. Language skills are a necessity and a right for EVERYONE – that is one of the main messages of 5 the European Day of Languages.

Official web-site of European Day of Languages: http: //edl. ecml. at/ General links: The EU’s Multilingualism website provides the latest updates on EU initiatives and events linked to languages: http: //ec. europa. eu/education/languages/index_en. htm BBC English Learning portal: http: //www. bbc. co. uk/worldservice/learningenglish 6

The languages of the European Union are languages used by people within the member states of the European Union. They include the twenty-three official languages of the European Union along with a range of others. The EU asserts that it is in favour of linguistic diversity and currently has a European Commissioner for Multilingualism, Leonard Orban. There are more member states in the EU than there are official languages. This is because some member states share national languages such as Dutch in the Netherlands and Belgium, French in France, Belgium and Luxembourg. While documents for and communication with citizens are in every official EU language as a right, day-to-day work in the European Commission is based around its three working languages: English, French, and German. Of these English is used most often. Only a handful of Commissioners use a non. English tongue as their working language. 7

My first question? Why is it important to learn foreign languages today? (for you as public servant or for you as an ordinary person) 8

My answer is… The activity of public officials associated with intensive oral and written communication, provides extensive language practice requires precise expression of concepts and categories in various fields of public administration. Therefore, a thorough knowledge of not only the native language, but foreign is important for professional and personal development. Example from Canada…. ¡ Language Requirements: In the public service, positions require knowledge of English, French or both English and French. When both official languages are required, the position is designated "bilingual". ¡ Approximately 40% of positions in the Public Service of Canada require knowledge of both official languages. A person knowing one official language can reach executive level in most parts of Canada. ¡ The language requirements of each position differs, and are determined based on an objective assessment of the duties and responsibilities of the position. If the position requires the knowledge of both official languages, the manager will also determine the proﬁciency level, in English and in French, in each of three language skills: Reading, Writing, and Oral Interaction. 9

My answer is… I need your’s answers… ¡ ¡ Personal Development By learning a new language, you gain new horizons, but at the same time you reinforce your own identity, and therefore also your selfconfidence. A foreign language can contribute to a stronger personality. Cultural Reasons It is a fundamental truth that cultures define themselves through languages. A foreign language gives you access to another culture. It gives you the ability to communicate and to exchange views with people all over the world that you would otherwise not have the chance to know. Educational Reasons Learning a foreign language opens up a whole new dimension. It has a positive effect on intellectual growth and it enriches and enhances mental development. Learning a foreign language is especially effective at an early age. It greatly benefits reading and writing in one’s own language; there's evidence that, like musical education, it contributes significantly to the development of individual intelligence. Economic Reasons In a globalized world characterized by international links and intercultural connections, linguistic skills are crucial for employment and career. The knowledge of foreign languages increases job opportunities in many careers where knowing another language is a real asset. 10

Why should I learn a language? Work If your work involves regular contact with speakers of foreign languages, being able to talk to them in their own languages will help you to communicate with them. It may also help you to make sales and to negotiate and secure contracts. Knowledge of foreign languages may also increase your chances of finding a new job, getting a promotion or a transfer overseas, or of going on foreign business trips. Study or research You may find that information about subjects you're interested in is published mainly in a foreign language. Learning that language will give you access to the material and enable you to communicate with fellow students and researchers in the field. ¡ Language is the archives of history. (Ralph Waldo Emerson) Emigration When you move to a different country or region, learning the local language will help you to communicate and integrate with the local community. 11

Why should I learn a language? Family and friends ¡ If your partner, in-laws, relatives or friends speak a different language, learning that language will help you to communicate with them. It will also give you a better understanding of their culture and way of thinking. Travel ¡ Many English speakers seem to believe that wherever you go on holiday you can get by speaking English, so there's no point in learning any other languages. If people don't understand you all you have to do is speak slowly and turn up the volume. You can more or less get away with this, as long as you stick to popular tourist resorts and hotels where you can usually find someone who speaks English. The limits of my language are the limits of my universe. (Ludwig Wittgenstein) Studying abroad ¡ If you plan to study at a foreign university, college or school, you'll need a good knowledge of the local language, unless the course you want to study is taught through the medium of your L 1. Your institution will probably provide preparatory courses to improve your language skills and continuing support throughout your main course. 12

Why should I learn a language? Secret communication ¡ If you and some of your relatives, friends or colleagues speak a language that few people understand, you can talk freely in public without fear of anyone eavesdropping, and/or you can keep any written material secret. Speakers of such Native American languages as Navajo, Choctaw and Cheyenne served as radio operators, know as Code Talkers, to keep communications secret during both World Wars. Welsh speakers played a similar role during the Bosnian War. Getting in touch with your roots ¡ If your family spoke a particular language in the past you might want to learn it and possibly teach it to your children. It could also be useful if you are research your family tree and some of the documents you find are written in a language foreign to you. Food ¡ Perhaps you enjoy the food and/or drink of a particular country or region and make regular trips there, or the recipe books you want to use are only available in a foreign language Linguistic interest ¡ Maybe you're interested in linguistic aspects of a particular language and decide to learn it in order to understand them better. 13

Range of jobs learning a language can offer: International Organizations ¡ International organizations such as the United Nations, World Trade Organization, the Red Cross, and Amnesty International will always need people with language skills for a range of functions from administrative work to management. Most will need a cross section of language skills plus many speakers in the main international languages such as English, French, Spanish and Arabic. The Foreign Service ¡ National governments demand huge numbers of foreign language speakers for their Foreign Service departments. Working for the Foreign Service could mean living and working abroad in an embassy, liaising with counterparts in other countries, listening to intelligence reports in foreign languages and translating them and conducting research in foreign languages. The Foreign Service is usually a challenge to get into; however, it is well known that language skills help bolster applicants' profiles. Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Industries ¡ Speaking a foreign language makes you a good candidate for positions within the tourism and hospitality industries. Many companies send staff to man local offices abroad, which means speakers of the native languages are required. In addition, the international nature of such companies usually means they have a global presence and that staff with language skills are critical to their day to day operations and future expansion. Even at home, where hotels, leisure complexes, restaurants receive large numbers of foreign visitors, speakers of foreign languages are needed to offer good customer service. Translation & Interpreting ¡ Once language skills have reached a good level, translating and interpreting become an option. 14

Some facts about English language… English is a west Germanic language, most closely related to Frisian and Scots. ¡ 600, 000 speakers In what countries within Europe English is official language? In Europe English is the official language in the United Kingdom, Gibraltar, Ireland Malta. ¡ It is one of the official languages of the European Union and of the United Nations. ¡ English is written in the Roman alphabet. ¡ English, either as a mother tongue or as a second/foreign language, is spoken by 51% of EU citizens, followed by German with 32% and French with 28% of those asked. 15 ¡

Some facts about English language… ¡ English is the language most often studied as a foreign language in the European Union, by 89% of schoolchildren, ahead of French at 32%, while the perception of the usefulness of foreign languages amongst Europeans is 68% in favour of English ahead of 25% for French. ¡ Among EU citizens, 38% indicate that they know English, followed by 14% mastering French or German, 7% Russian, 5% Spanish and 3% Italian. The typical multilingual European is a student or holds a managerial position or was born in a country where a different language is spoken from the language of his/her parents. ¡ Most books are published in English, and most are translated in English, even bad, is the standard language of scientific publications, aviation, tourism, finance, and diplomacy. 16

How to learn language? If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. (Nelson Mandela) ¡ ü ü ü ü Think about what you want to be able to do. Plan your language learning in way that suits you. How and where do you want to learn? And what sort of methods and materials would suit you? Choose your approach to learning Find and choose course Start At the end of presentation I will distribute useful materials. 17

Do not forget… You need communication and practice – Discussion clubs, new pen-friends or take a tour to England. ¡ You can visit different cultural event – film and music festivals, etc. Europe Day celebration with a wide range of events and action – each year. ¡ Studying a foreign language takes patience and hard work, but you can succeed. ¡ Visit our EUi… we can assist you… ¡ 18

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EU-Bookshop …http: //bookshop. europa. eu Managed by the Publications Office of the European Union, EU Bookshop gives you online access to the European Union’s official publications. o You can download them as PDF files or (for some) order copies to be sent to you at home. o 21

Interesting facts about languages – game Languages records: How many languages are there in the World? ¡ 2. 000 -3. 000 ¡ 6. 000 -7. 000 ¡ 10. 000 -12. 000 Comment: It’s not easy to place a definitive number on the world’s languages: currently estimate is 6. 000 - 7. 000. Many have become extinct, others are in process of being born. 2. Which three languages are most popular among Internet users? ¡ English/Chinese/Spanish ¡ English/Spanish/German ¡ English/Spanish/Japanese Comment: German ranks sixth (59 million) among languages employed by internet users, behind Japanese and French. With around 366 million users, English is number one, followed by Chinese (184 mil) and Spanish (102 mil). 22 1.

Interesting facts about languages – game 3. What is the most widely spoken language in the world? English ¡ Chinese ¡ Arabic Comment: Standard Mandarin is the native tongue of approx. 850 million people and official language in China, Taiwan and Singapore. Hindi is spoken by more than 600 million people, followed by Spanish and English. ¡ 4. What country has the most official languages? India ¡ China ¡ Switzerland Comment: Besides the two supra-regional languages of English and Hindi, 21 languages are officially recognized in India. The country’s constitution ensures that every minority is granted the right to their own language. ¡ 23

Interesting facts about languages – game What language has the fewest consonants? ¡ Hawaiian ¡ Russian ¡ Japanese Comment: The language of Polynesian natives of Hawaii consists of 12 letters, 8 of which are consonants. The meaning of many words can only be discerned through subtle differences in pronunciation. 6. What language spoken today was revived only 120 years ago? ¡ Hebrew ¡ Sumerian ¡ Greek Comment: Spoken Hebrew ceased to exist in second century AD. About 120 yeas ago, a successful effort was mounted to restore this “lost” language. Modern Hebrew, also called Ivrit, is now the official language of the state of Israel. 5. 24

Interesting facts about languages – game Language Curios: When you ask a Greek something and he answers “ne”, its means. . ? 2. no 3. yes ¡ Maybe Comment: In this case it is easy for misunderstanding to arise since “ne” means “yes”. To say “no”, a Greek shakes his head, raises the eyebrows, clicks with his tongues or say “ochi”. 2. When you order “ÖL” in Sweden, you get…? ¡ juice ¡ fuel ¡ Beer Comment: Although Swedish and German belong to the same Indo-European language group, a Swede ordering “ÖL” will be treated to a beer. In German, you would get oil, which in Swedish is “olja”… 1. 25

Interesting facts about languages – game What language has 27 different words for “moustache”? ¡ Hungarian ¡ Albanian ¡ Portuguese Comment: A moustache is quite an important matter in Albania. 4. When a Japanese businessman offers a deal to European business partner, and the partner keeps silent, the Japanese will consider his offer as ? ¡ rejected ¡ accepted ¡ still be discussed Comment: The meaning of silence varies greatly in different cultures. In Western world silence can be interpreted as a sign of rejection. In Japan it implies acceptance. 26 3.

Interesting facts about languages – game 5. ¡ ¡ What is the only Germanic language with an origin outside of Europe? German Afrikaans Swedish Comment: Afrikaans, one of the official languages in South Africa, evolved from its Dutch roots, incorporating various African dialects. ¡ 6. ¡ ¡ In which of European language foreign words are avoided at all? Hungarian Icelandic Polish Comment: In Icelandic, one of the oldest European languages, foreign words are avoided as much as possible. Iceland even created a committee that substitutes terms of modern life, science and engineering with new Icelandic words… ¡ 27

Interesting facts about languages – game European Languages: How many official languages are spoken in the European Union? ¡ 13 ¡ 23 ¡ 44 Comment: There are currently 23 official languages in the European Union; the latest additions were Gaelic, Bulgarian and Romanian. In the European Parliament speeches can be delivered in any official language and are translated simultaneously. 2. Which European country is called “Suomi” by its citizens? ¡ Bulgaria ¡ Finland ¡ Estonia Comment: The Finns call their country “Suomi”. The original meaning of Suo-maa was “Swampland”. Officially Finland is bilingual, though more than 90% of its citizens claim Finnish as their native tongue. 28 1.

Interesting facts about languages – game What is the only country in which Latin is the official language? ¡ Italy ¡ Vatican City ¡ Cyprus Comment: In Vatican City, the world’s smallest internationally recognized country, Latin is the official language. This enclave, located within the city of Rome, has a little more than 500 citizens. Vatican City is an absolute monarchy, with the Pope at its head. 4. What is the native tongue of most Europeans? ¡ English ¡ German ¡ French Comment: German is the first language of about 100 million Europeans and hence, the one spoken most within EU, followed by English and French. The most popular second language inside the EU is English. 3. 29

Interesting facts about languages – game 5. ¡ Which European language isn’t related to any other? Basque Erse ¡ Rhaeto-Romanic Comment: Basque, spoken primary in the north-east of Spain and the south-west of France, isn’t related to any other languages. ¡ 6. ¡ ¡ ¡ Arabic was once spoken in which European country? Greece France Spain Comment: In medieval times, the empire of Al-Andalus controlled the Iberian Peninsula. To this day the Alhambra, a Moorish palace in Spanish town Granada, remains a gorgeous remnant of that empire. 30

Interesting facts about languages – game What is the only Semitic language in European Union? ¡ Serbian ¡ Maltese ¡ Albanian Comment: Maltese, besides English the second official language on Malta, the only Semitic language within EU. After the southernmost country in Europe joined the EU, Maltese, which is closely related to Arabic was added to the list of official EU languages. 8. Which is the only Celtic language to be recognized as an official language in Europe? ¡ Swedish ¡ Irish ¡ Estonian Comment: Irish is the only Celtic language recognized as official state language in Europe and has been one of the 23 official languages of EU since the beginning of 2007. 1, 6 million people speak Irish, only around 7000 speakers. 7. 31

Finally…… ¡ ¡ ¡ "A different language is a different vision of life. " - Federico Fellini, Italian film director "Those who know nothing of foreign languages, knows nothing of their own. " - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe "The individual's whole experience is built upon the plan of his language. " - Henri Delacroix, French painter and filmmaker "As the traveler who has once been from home is wiser than he who has never left his own doorstep, so a knowledge of one other culture should sharpen our ability to scrutinize more steadily, to appreciate more lovingly, our own. " - Margaret Mead, American anthropologist You live a new life for every new language you speak. If you know only one language, you live only once. (Czech proverb) 32

Thank you for attention!!! Questions? ? ? Suggestions? ? ? 33