ABU DHABI, Language lovers of all ages celebrated the European Day of Languages in Abu Dhabi with a rich programme of cultural and language activities.
The event was organised on Sunday by the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) in the UAE, a consortium of organisations engaging in cultural relations, in collaboration with the European Union Delegation to the United Arab Emirates and various embassies of EU Member States and associate countries.
Hosted at the Alliance Française in Abu Dhabi, the event offered visitors a range of fun activities and challenges, including contests, storytelling, theatre performances, film screenings and language trivia with various giveaways and prizes. They also received information about language study options in the UAE and Europe.
In his opening remarks, Andrea Matteo Fontana, Ambassador of the European Union to the UAE, said: “The European Day of Languages is an opportunity to raise awareness about the variety of languages within Europe. It reflects our linguistic diversity and is a celebration of the cultural heritage of the European community.
Learning a second or even third language has become essential today, particularly for youth who are heading towards a more connected and digital future. We need to learn each other’s languages to better communicate and promote dialogue and tolerance, which are much needed in our world.”
Jiří Slavík, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the UAE said: “Czech Republic is the country currently holding the Presidency of the EU Council. I am pleased that our embassy in Abu Dhabi is part of the European Day of Languages. There is a unity in the diversity of EU countries’ languages, a unity of values, similar cultural traditions, tolerance and cooperation for a better and common future of European states. Tomáš Garigue Masaryk, the first President of Czechoslovakia, once said (the more languages you speak, the more you are human), and that is very true”.
Participating embassies and institutes included the EU Delegation to the UAE, Goethe-Institut Gulf Region, the Italian Cultural Institute in Abu Dhabi, Institut Français in the UAE, and the embassies of Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Austria, Estonia, Ireland, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, Poland, and Switzerland.
The European Day of Languages, launched by Council of Europe in 2001, is celebrated annually on 26 September, and aims to encourage lifelong language learning and raise awareness about the importance of learning languages in improving intercultural understanding while promoting the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe.
There are over 200 European languages and many more are spoken by citizens whose families are from other continents.
Source: Emirates News Agency