The European Day of Languages, a big festival for everyone
On 26 September, Paris hosted the Day of European Multilingualism: a big festival of fun and entertainment designed to draw a large audience from every kind of background. A related special event brought together key figures from the arts world and European linguists at the Sorbonne.
For the first time in Paris, the general public was invited to discover the richness and diversity of European languages. On 26 September, on the European Day of Languages itself, the French capital buzzed with all the languages of Europe. Buildings, streets and the entire urban fabric became a playground for multilingualism during the Festival of Languages. Lots of artistic performances and original fun and poetic events were organised throughout the streets of Paris to inspire people to become actively involved in languages.
From the morning of 26 September, thousands of words and phrases written in every language appeared around the city. And as music is the primary vehicle of communication between countries, especially among the young, sound systems were set up on Place de la Sorbonne playing all kinds of songs, not forgetting the European hits that have managed to cross borders and become popular numbers known by everyone.
At nightfall, illuminated words in several languages, chosen by the public, were projected directly onto the façades of symbolic buildings all along the Seine by an artists’ collective, guaranteeing a spectacular effect!
Another event invited younger children to come and listen to tales from all over the world with the Itinerary, stories and legends from all over the world initiative, in French and in their original language, to offer them a gentle introduction to different cultures through words. Foreign cultural institutes affiliated to FICEP, the Forum of foreign cultural institutes in Paris, an association unique in the world which is particularly active in promoting cultural diversity, organized and hosted this event on their premises.
Raising awareness among the general public of the variety of European languages will not be limited to a single day either, however spectacular this may be. Until 28 September, the centres affiliated to FICEP will be out in force and putting all their skills to work. They will offer, for instance, introductory courses open to everyone in over 50 languages through the Passeport pour les langues scheme. They will also offer a chance to participate in a major event, L’invitation au voyage, which will involve reconstructing Charles Baudelaire’s famous poem in 44 languages.
This event is part of the programme of the European cultural season. The European Day of Languages is itself benefiting from the extensive involvement of various institutions since it is organised by the French Ministries of Foreign and European Affairs, National Education, Higher Education and Culture and Communication, in liaison with the General Secretariat of the French Presidency of the European Union and with the support of the European Commission.
Moreover, on the same day, at the Sorbonne “Les Etats généraux du multilinguisme” will take place in the prestigious Grand Amphithéâtre, bringing together nearly a thousand key figures from all the countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area. This conference has been organised by a steering committee composed of some forty writers and specialists, including the Franco-Lebanese novelist Amin Maalouf, the director of research at the CNRS Barbara Cassin and the famous French linguist and psychoanalyst of Bulgarian extraction Julia Kristeva.
Political and institutional leaders, specialists and experts and above all representatives of civil society will be invited to compare their vision of multilingualism. Several round tables will be organised on very specific themes: educational creativity and innovation in language teaching; the role of linguistic skills in making businesses more competitive and in social cohesion, translation and the circulation of cultural works of all kinds, literary, scientific, cinematographic, audiovisual or theatrical. During this final round table the future of the translation professions and the prospects provided by the development of digital technologies will be considered.
On this occasion, the European Commissioner for multilingualism, Leonard Orban of Romania, will present the European Union’s strategy and the measures that it plans to implement with the support of member states. The working conclusions drawn from this conference will of course guide any new approaches in European policy for the promotion of linguistic diversity.
The European Day of Languages is taking on a special dimension in France this year due in large part to the French Presidency of the European Union. But it has been celebrated throughout Europe since 2001 and this year it will once more give rise to a range of events in other European and French cities.
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