Competition for the European Day of Languages 2010 and Europe Day 2011
To the attention of media and relevant network and organisations
Europe wants to hear your language success story
In order to promote language learning, the European Commission is collecting attractive language experiences. The idea is to invite the people of Europe to share positive anecdotes showing the benefits of knowing languages. The authors of the best stories will be invited to Brussels in 2011.
The European Day of Languages on 26 September 2010 marks the launch of a competition for the public to share their stories on the advantages of knowing languages (official opening on 30 September 2010). Organised by the European Commission, the competition aims to demonstrate through pleasant and amusing anecdotes in how many different ways people can benefit from foreign language knowledge, and to inspire people to learn foreign languages.
The stories can be submitted in video, audio, text, photo or poster format and will be published on the competition website . The public will choose the best stories by voting on line. The competition and the public voting will be open until 31 January 2011. The winners will be invited to an Award Ceremony organised in Brussels around 9 May in the context of Europe Day 2011.
The competition is open for people who are 18 years or older and residents of the EU countries, Turkey, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. The stories can be about any language in the world, but must be presented in one of the 23 official languages of the EU.
In a multicultural Europe with countless possibilities for free movement whether in studies or work, knowing foreign languages is a key asset. The EU strongly supports the multilingual nature of the Union through such initiatives as itsLifelong Learning Programme . Sharing success stories, such as those of the current competition, is a good way to identify role models in language learning, to promote positive actions among citizens and to help them take full advantage of their opportunities in a global world.
