If the language is a key to understanding cultures, then the European Day of Languages is a holiday of giving keys. Every year on September 26, events are held in different countries around the world, aimed at promoting the study of foreign languages not only at school, but throughout life.
The event was attended by Roman Motulsky, director of the National Library of Belarus; Didier Canesse, Ambassador of France; Aloisia Worgetter, Ambassador of Austria; Andrea Huterer, the wife of the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, and Jakob Racek, First Secretary of the Embassy of Germany and head of the Goethe Institute in Minsk.
During the short 10-minute sessions with native speakers, the event’s guest could try 14 languages: Austrian, English, Belarusian, Bulgarian Hungarian, Danish, Yiddish, Italian, Lithuanian, German, Polish, French, Swedish, as well as the sign language.
All those who took on the role of language teachers on this day are representatives of countries that have or are about to join the National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC), a network of European national institutes of culture. Today EUNIC brings together 36 organizations from 28 states of the European Union. In many countries theses organizations are united into local clusters. Their activities are aimed at developing intercultural cooperation, supporting arts, education and the youth movement. The celebration of the European Day of Languages in the National Library is the first EUNIC initiative in Belarus.
Especially for the holiday, the Belarusian “diamond of knowledge” prepared a book exhibition. The exposition included self-study guides of the main European languages, phrasebooks, the series Belaruskiya EuraGramatyki (in Belarusian: Беларускія ЕўраГраматыкі), and the unique EuraSlounik (in Belarusian: ЕўраСлоўнік) in 28 languages edited by L. Borshchevsky. The exhibition ran throughout the event.
Public Relations Department
Find out more about the event on ONT TV channel and photo report.
