ECML: European Language Gazette No. 69 (Aug-Sept 2024)

With less than 2 months to go until 26 September, we are excited to inform you about the developments for this year’s European Day of Languages (EDL): the materials available, the new ideas, features, competitions and initiatives.

The Council of Europe will mark the 2024 European Day of Languages under the motto “Languages for peace”, highlighting how linguistic diversity and language education can play a key role in promoting a culture of peace, living together and democracy.

A host of new and/or updated features and resources are currently under development on the EDL website for this year’s Day. Here are just some examples that will be appearing on the EDL homepage in the build up to the 24^th edition of the European Day of Languages.

Developed as a follow-up to “Lara’s language journey across Europe” (which is currently available in 26 language versions), Lara is taking on a new challenge and journey – this time to explore the world of regional and minority languages, many of which are likely to be unfamiliar to readers. The new brochure puts a spotlight on the diversity of the European linguistic landscape, presenting a selection of 39 regional and minority languages, such as Corsican, Ladin, Faroese, Friulian and Papiamento – which did not feature in the original brochure.

https://edl.ecml.at/languagejourney

Covering 84 of Europe’s languages which are presented in the two Lara brochures, this stand-alone language tree provides an excellent way of mapping the languages present within a class or school in visible way and in highlighting just how close or far apart languages are from one another.

https://edl.ecml.at/languagejourney

The title of “Yet another 20 things you may not know about world of languages” may be getting a little repetitive, but there appears to be an inexhaustible supply of fascinating trivia related to the theme of languages!

https://edl.ecml.at

This year’s survey needs your input on “What is the best advice you can give someone starting to learn a language?”. It is already up and running – with the results to be announced on 25 September.

https://edl.ecml.at/poll

Do you know how to pronounce the name Ruaidhrí or Áine? Even for those coming from the Emerald Isle of Ireland, it is not always 100% obvious how certain first names are pronounced. This year you have access to the perfect guide to help you negotiate some of the more tricky ones. Equipped with this tool, there are no excuses for getting them wrong – you will be an expert in no time!

https://edl.ecml.at/irishnames

Based on a previous year’s initiative “In how many languages can you make someone laugh?”, this multilingual joke book offers the perfect antidote to any classroom tension or stress… and contains some ‘seriously’ amusing entries.

https://edl.ecml.at/jokebook

In a world increasingly dominated by technology, sometimes it is good to take a step back towards more traditional formats. The provisionally labelled “Bizarro” board game is conceived to be played in an offline format. A pilot version of the game is currently under development and will be ready to play (with a template to print out) for mid-September. Feedback is most welcome to help this to evolve into a world beater in years to come!

On the other hand, for those who do love smartphones (!) there is also the updated version of the Secret agent’s language challenge app, available in 31 languages – developed with the support of the EDL National Relays and the European Commission. The app encourages users, aka secret agents, to take on a range of challenges, to rise up through the ranks and eventually become a ‘master secret agent’. Newly ‘qualified’ agents are able to reward themselves with a certificate testifying to their advanced skills!

https://edl.ecml.at/app

This feature showcases words from a variety of languages that have been designated as ‘words of the year’ by publishers and other media channels from different European countries. These tend to reflect key events or changes (both positive and negative) which have occurred over the past year. Visitors to the site will also be invited to propose their “Word of the Year” for 2024.

https://edl.ecml.at/wordoftheyear

Photo credit: www.collinsdictionary.com/woty

A rich palette of language games is also available. Try out some of the following:

• a brain game to test out your skills and your memory with the Latin and Greek alphabets –
  https://edl.ecml.at/braingame;
• “How many languages do you recognize?”, where you can test your ability to correctly identify written texts in up to 40 languages –
  https://edl.ecml.at/languagedetective;
• a “Where am I?” game, where you need to identify which country is represented in a picture – from the linguistic clues visible –
  https://edl.ecml.at/WhereAmI;
• the “Which language is it?” game which tests the listener’s ability to identify individual languages through listening to conversations in an everyday setting. This game really certainly sharpens listening skills –
  https://edl.ecml.at/whichlanguage;
• an updated “famous quotes” section: including a variety of quotations from different languages and their origins –
  https://edl.ecml.at/quotes.

We are suggesting two challenges to celebrate this year’s Day of Languages that could be included within almost any event being organised.

Create a poster illustrating the theme of ‘Languages for Peace’. This can use symbols, quotes and artwork to convey messages of unity and understanding across different languages and actively contribute to the use of languages as a vehicle for reaching across linguistic and cultural divides.
Send us a photo or pdf of the poster you produce to be showcased on the EDL website. There will be prizes for the top 5 most creative entries and up to 30 of the posters will proudly decorate the European Centre for Modern Languages!

Deadline for entries: 15 October 2024

https://edl.ecml.at/languagesforpeace

For example, the letter ‘Ř’ (a ‘raised alveolar non-sonorant trill’!) from Czech is reputed to be one of the most difficult letters to pronounce in the world – except (of course) if you are Czech! Can you come up with something just as difficult to pronounce or even more so – either in your own language or in one you are learning? If so, send us a short video illustrating this challenging piece of oral dexterity and why it is challenging! We will select a winner of Europe’s most difficult utterances to then be featured on the EDL website.

Deadline for entries: 15 October 2024

https://edl.ecml.at/difficulttopronounce

For a taste of the success of two EDL initiatives launched last year…
Some 1 900 posters were submitted for the “Languages in my classroom” initiative. A choice selection is currently decorating the ECML premises in Graz, and if you have time, you can view all of them online!
There were also an impressive range of very creative entries for the “Beauty of languages” initiative (with a selection also online).

There was again a huge response to the contest to design the 2024 EDL t-shirt – with over 2 000 entries submitted. The artistic winning design was created by Eloise Recio Jarda from Spain. The t-shirt and a tote bag with the same design are now available for sale.

For the 2025 EDL t-shirt design contest designs can already be submitted here (with the contest closing on 31 December 2024).

The 2023 most innovative European Day of Languages’ event was won by the Portugal’s Departamento Curricular de Línguas, Alcobaça – with the series of events taking place in under the title of “Message in a bottle”.

The most innovative European Day of Languages’ event competition for 2024, with a small reward, will be open for voting from 20 September to 20 October.

https://edl.ecml.at/edlevents

The European Day of Languages offers an opportunity to raise awareness of all the languages represented in today’s Europe. It is a celebration of Europe’s unique linguistic context and an impetus for people of all ages and walks of life to also learn to communicate, (and be understood!) in a language in addition to their own. Around the Day thousands of events take place, often dealing with very different topics and audiences but with the same inherent premise – to encourage language learning.

If you are looking for ideas for organising an event on or around the Day, you will find 20 suggestions for fun, inclusive, activities with an educational element for  large or small groups in the following section of the website: https://edl.ecml.at/eventsuggestions.

The suggestions will also be available shortly as a pdf document for ease of use.

EDL events calendar

We warmly welcome event organisers entering details of their activities from all around Europe and indeed the world into the EDL calendar. By doing so, they will also be able to download an official event certificate.

Each day, throughout the month of September, a particularly special event will be showcased on the homepage of the EDL website.

An expanded range of promotional items  are available this year:

• ‘Write with me!’ paper pens in 8 different language sets and colours;
• EDL wristbands made from fabric – with one design reflecting solidarity with Ukraine;
• ‘Talk to me!’ stickers and EDL language journey sheets of stickers linked to the Language journey booklet with ‘Hello’, ‘How are you?’, ‘Thank you’ in 40 languages;
• ‘Read with me!’ bookmarks produced in 10 different language combinations.

Schools and event organisers can (so long as stocks last) order material from their National relay in the Council of Europe member states.

A very wide selection of promotional materials (such as the brochures, posters, banner stickers and and logos) can be downloaded to support the celebrations on and around the Day. These are also available in high-resolution formats which are suitable for printing (see the Downloads page).

On the dedicated EDL Facebook page – there will be a series of posts promoting the Day in the build up to 26 September, using the hashtags #coeEDL and #EDL2024 to publicise activities and initiatives.