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26 September is the day the EU celebrates all the many languages spoken in Europe and around the world. They have lots of resources for multilingual fun in schools.

This language detective game requires no preparation. There are 40 short texts in 40 different languages each time you have to choose between six possible languages. You could project it in class and choose the options together, or it would work even better if your pupils have tablets.

There's also a downloadable book called Lara's Language Journey Across Europe. The main text is in the language you choose to download, so English in this case, and there's a page on each language, interesting facts, the numbers 1-10 and simple greetings which you can scan to listen to. You could have groups work on different languages and report back what they've learned.

You can download the poster, the book and various other handy resources like stickers to print out in many languages, as well as cards giving the onomatopoeias used to express animal noises in different languages (a source of endless fascination!)

Word of the Year
Every year, dictionaries in different countries compile lists of "words of the year": either newly coined words or ones which have been particularly regularly used that year. As we reported, in 2022, for the first time, Oxford Dictionaries asked the public to vote for its word of the year and the winner was goblin mode: "a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations." Typical goblin mode behaviour is staying home in your pyjamas watching a box set on TV and eating junk food.

This European Day of Languages activity compiles 10 words of 2022 from around Europe. it would be interesting to ask pupils if they can guess why the existing words on the list were suddenly used a lot. For example, "war" (Portugal, France), or "boycott" (Switzerland). or if they can try to invent versions in French or English of the invented words like Krympflasjon (Norway), meaning "when the content or size of a product becomes smaller while the price remains the same or increases". (The English equivalent is "shrinkflation", a portmanteau combination of "shrink" (decrease) and "inflation".) It's a great way to get pupils to think about language and the ways we use it.

One, Two, Three
This downloadable poster features the numbers 1, 2, 3 in all the majority and minority languages from around Europe. There's a QR code so it is possible to listen to them. And you could ask pupils if they know how to say the numbers in any other languages, which could allow pupils from different backgrounds to shine.

We'd love to hear about your European Day of Language activities, like this Olympic-themed "Lorrain'tour de la flamme linguistique" with an opening ceremony on the 26th at Lycée Louis de Cormontaigne in Metz.

Check out the trailer for a multilingual escape game from the Académie Orléans-Tours.

You can access the game via this page.

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Information and articles about developments in English teaching, themes covering different aspects of culture, news and events in the English-speaking world

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·Falar várias línguas promove o respeito e a diversidade cultural.

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Depuis 2001, à l'initiative du Conseil de l'Europe, la journée européenne des langues est célébrée chaque année le 26 septembre!

Selon le Conseil de l'Europe, les objectifs généraux de la Journée européenne des langues sont les suivants:

sensibiliser le public à l'importance de l'apprentissage des langues et de la diversification des différentes langues apprises afin de favoriser le plurilinguisme et la compréhension interculturelle;

promouvoir la riche diversité culturelle et linguistique de l'Europe, qui doit être maintenue et cultivée;

encourager l'apprentissage tout au long de la vie dans et en dehors du contexte scolaire, que ce soit durant les études, pour des besoins professionnels, pour des raisons de mobilité ou simplement pour le plaisir et l'échange.

Cette invitation du Conseil de l'Europe à célébrer la Journée Européenne des Langues (JEL) s'adresse tant aux autorités de ses Etats membres qu'à tous les partenaires potentiels aux niveaux:

politique (mesures ou réflexion ponctuelle liées aux questions de politique linguistique par exemple);

public (sensibilisation aux objectifs généraux de la Journée et notamment à l'importance d'un apprentissage des langues diversifié tout au long de la vie et à tout âge, dans les établissements d'enseignement, sur le lieu de travail, etc.);

associatif (actions spécifiques par et/ou pour des ONG, associations, entreprises, etc.).

Il existe ainsi de nombreuses possibilités de participer à cette Journée, alors n'hésitez pas à mettre en place jeux, signalétique, concours de proverbes ou de vire-langues, repas, débats, conférences... en vous inspirant notamment du site internet dédié à la JEL et en y inscrivant votre manifestation.

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Journée européenne des langues 26 septembre

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26 September is the day the EU celebrates all the many languages spoken in Europe and around the world. They have lots of resources for multilingual fun in schools.

This language detective game requires no preparation. There are 40 short texts in 40 different languages each time you have to choose between six possible languages. You could project it in class and choose the options together, or it would work even better if your pupils have tablets.

There's also a downloadable book called Lara's Language Journey Across Europe. The main text is in the language you choose to download, so English in this case, and there's a page on each language, interesting facts, the numbers 1-10 and simple greetings which you can scan to listen to. You could have groups work on different languages and report back what they've learned.

You can download the poster, the book and various other handy resources like stickers to print out in many languages, as well as cards giving the onomatopoeias used to express animal noises in different languages (a source of endless fascination!)

Word of the Year
Every year, dictionaries in different countries compile lists of "words of the year": either newly coined words or ones which have been particularly regularly used that year. As we reported, in 2022, for the first time, Oxford Dictionaries asked the public to vote for its word of the year and the winner was goblin mode: "a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations." Typical goblin mode behaviour is staying home in your pyjamas watching a box set on TV and eating junk food.

This European Day of Languages activity compiles 10 words of 2022 from around Europe. it would be interesting to ask pupils if they can guess why the existing words on the list were suddenly used a lot. For example, "war" (Portugal, France), or "boycott" (Switzerland). or if they can try to invent versions in French or English of the invented words like Krympflasjon (Norway), meaning "when the content or size of a product becomes smaller while the price remains the same or increases". (The English equivalent is "shrinkflation", a portmanteau combination of "shrink" (decrease) and "inflation".) It's a great way to get pupils to think about language and the ways we use it.

One, Two, Three
This downloadable poster features the numbers 1, 2, 3 in all the majority and minority languages from around Europe. There's a QR code so it is possible to listen to them. And you could ask pupils if they know how to say the numbers in any other languages, which could allow pupils from different backgrounds to shine.

We'd love to hear about your European Day of Language activities, like this Olympic-themed "Lorrain'tour de la flamme linguistique" with an opening ceremony on the 26th at Lycée Louis de Cormontaigne in Metz.

Check out the trailer for a multilingual escape game from the Académie Orléans-Tours.

You can access the game via this page.

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Information and articles about developments in English teaching, themes covering different aspects of culture, news and events in the English-speaking world

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European Day of Languages: supporting linguistic diversity - Cambridge University

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European Day of Languages: supporting linguistic diversity - Cambridge University

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European Day of Languages: supporting linguistic diversity

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The Council of Europe initiative celebrates Europe's linguistic and cultural diversity and promotes the importance of language learning

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European Day of Languages, British Council

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European Day of Languages, British Council

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Celebrate with us the wide range of languages that are spoken in Europe (European day of languages, 26 September)

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Citações famosas - Todos conhecemos citações de personalidades famosas nas nossas próprias línguas e culturas - mas quantas conhecemos noutras línguas? 

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Citações famosas - Todos conhecemos citações de personalidades famosas nas nossas próprias línguas e culturas - mas quantas conhecemos noutras línguas? 

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European Day of Languages > Facts > Quotes

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Livro de receitas incríveis de bolos de aniversário verdadeiramente europeus!

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Livro de receitas incríveis de bolos de aniversário verdadeiramente europeus!

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O mais engraçado e único livro de anedotas multilingue

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O mais engraçado e único livro de anedotas multilingue

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És um detetive de línguas? - Consegues reconhecer todas as línguas que estão a ser apresentadas no jogo?

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És um detetive de línguas? - Consegues reconhecer todas as línguas que estão a ser apresentadas no jogo?

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EDL.ECML.AT/LANGUAGEDETECTIVE

Can you recognise all the languages being displayed in the game?

Are you a language detective?

Can you recognise all the languages being displayed in the game?

View page

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European Day of Languages > Games > Language detective

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Watch how 1000 years of European borders change. Time Lapse Map

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Watch how 1000 years of European borders change. Time Lapse Map

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Watch how 1000 years of European borders change.  Time Lapse Map

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Here you will find ready-to-use materials that teachers around the world use in school for the European Day of Languages. You might need to adapt them to fit your needs (e.g. change language). We would be happy to add your ideas/ materials/ adaptation of existing documents here! For ideas on what can be done on the European Day of Languages, please see the "examples of school activities" below.

Examples of school activities

These are some samples of school activities that were done in schools for the European Day of Languages! You should get some ideas on how you could organise a whole day/moring/afternoon.

Older students prepare English (or any other language) lessons for younger students

all languages, description in English

© Elisabeth Bauer, GIBS, Graz, Austria

District Language Day - valuing all languages spoken in a city district

English, German

© Commission on Integration of the third district of Vienna Eva Lachkovics, author of books for adolescents: Michael Schmid, African storyteller: Dr. Espérance Bulayumi

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European Day of Languages > Teachers > Teaching materials

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Lucia Costantini's European Language Day 2023 Padlet

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Lucia Costantini's European Language Day 2023 Padlet

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Sharing ideas throughout Europe.

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WordArt.com: online word cloud art creator

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WordArt.com: online word cloud art creator

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WordArt.com is an AI-powered word cloud generator that enables you to create amazing and unique word clouds with ease.

Professional quality results can be achieved in no time at all, even for users with no prior knowledge of graphic design.

Word clouds (also known as tag cloud, word collage or wordle) are visual representation of text that give greater rank to words that appear more frequently.

Word clouds are perfect for creating stunning personalized gifts. No sign up required!

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Create Stunning Word Clouds in Seconds | WordArt.com

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WordArt.com is an online word cloud generator that enables you to create amazing and unique word clouds with ease

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World of Better Learning | Cambridge University Press

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Published 6 November 2020

When you practise speaking in English, do the words always come out the way they sound in your head? Probably not. Letters and sounds can get a bit... twisted! Tongue twisters are designed to trip you up with the combination of words they use. However, this is exactly why they're an excellent way to work on your pronunciation. Don't let them win!

It's International Tongue Twister Day today, which seems like a good time to give some a go. Read on for some tongue twisters to try and some advice from our Learn English with Cambridge friends, George and Greg.

A battle sheep on the River Thames...

To avoid confusion like this, tongue twisters can help you practise specific sounds. For example, /i:/ vs. /i/

Ahh, it was a battle ship on the Thames! That makes more sense.

Try this one:

"Pete bit each bit of meat."

Your mouth will make a different shape for each of the sounds, even though to the ear, they may not sound all that different. You'll find yourself almost smiling as you say Pete (he's obviously a nice guy), whereas your mouth won't actually move much as you say bit. George will demonstrate for you. Watch his video on common minimal pairs for help with mastering these sounds, and envisaging what a battle sheep might look like.

Rory needs a new rake

Are there certain letters that you have trouble with? Choosing a tongue twister that's focused on an area you find particularly challenging can help you perfect those tricky sounds that are holding back your overall pronunciation. For example, the letter l and the letter r are two that commonly get in a muddle. Try saying this:

"Rory's lawn rake rarely rakes really right."

Tip: start with the last word. So in this case, right. Then add the previous words one at a time. Greg will show you how. Watch his video on ways to improve your pronunciation, which includes another couple of tongue twisters for you to try.

Ready for some more to tackle?

Even in your first language, tongue twisters can be a mouthful! These are some popular word combos that are particularly satisfying when you get them right. See how fast you can say them and how many times you can repeat them correctly.

"She sells seashells by the seashore."

https://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Seashells-copy.m4a

Presumably she paints them before selling them... Or these particular beachgoers just haven't worked out that they could collect their own. Either way, she has a good thing going.

How well can you distinguish your s from your sh when repeating this a few times?

"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?"

https://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Peter-Piper-copy.m4a

Not only is he tasked with picking pickled peppers, but both his names also begin with P ... what are the chances?!

If two sentences is a bit tricky, you can always start with the first one on its own. (A peck is a measurement of volume as opposed to quantity anyway, so not sure how many he actually picked!)

"How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

https://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Woodchuck-copy.m4a

Well, these guys seem to think the idea of them chucking wood is laughable, with those cute little paws. But they do tend to live near trees, so there'd be plenty of wood for them to chuck if they gave it a go... so it's not totally out of the question.

How fast can you say this one?

"Red lorry yellow lorry red lorry yellow lorry."

https://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Lorries-copy.m4a

No, there are no lorries of other colours on the road today. It's a bit of a repetitive sight, but blue and green ones would get in the way of the pronunciation challenge.

How many times can you say this without calling lorries lollies?

How about testing your friends? (After impressing them with your own articulation, of course!)
For some more word-related fun, read our article on Roald Dahl's use of language in his stories. Gobblefunk doesn't leave you biffsquiggled

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Tongue Twisters - What A Mouthful! | World Of Better Learning

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Published 6 November 2020 When you practise speaking in English, do the words always come out the way they sound in your head? Probably not. Letters and sounds can get a bit... twisted! Tongue twisters are designed to trip you up with the combination of words they use.

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Do you like practising your English pronunciation? Have fun saying tongue twisters in English. Saying tongue twisters can be difficult at first, so don't worry if you can't do it very well to begin with. Just keep practising and have fun!

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Écoute et amuse-toi à répéter ces virelangues!

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Écoute et amuse-toi à répéter ces virelangues!

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Les virelangues _ French Tongue Twisters

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Find and create gamified quizzes, lessons, presentations, and flashcards for students, employees, and everyone else. Get started for free!

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20 things you might not know about Europe's languages - ESP

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20 things you might not know about Europe's languages - ESP

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20 things you might not know about Europe's languages - FRAN

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20 things you might not know about Europe's languages - FRAN

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20 things you might not know about Europe's languages - ENG

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20 things you might not know about Europe's languages - ENG

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Roda das línguas europeias _ Conselho da União Europeia (1)

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As línguas levam-nos mais longe _ Comissão Europeia (2)

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Para fazeres a tua Wordcloud

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Como criar sua primeira apresentação com a Mentimeter em português!

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Kahoot - Quiz: How much do you know about English-speaking countries?

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Kahoot - Quiz: How much do you know about English-speaking countries?