The European Day of Languages is celebrated every year on 26th September. Now in its seventeenth year, the European Day of Languages was first officially celebrated in 2002 following the success of the European Year of Languages in 2001. The day is organized jointly by the European Union and the Council of Europe.
 

Europe is lucky to enjoy a rich diversity of language and cultures with 200 European languages, 24 Official EU languages and it is estimated around 60 regional or minority languages. These figures are not including languages spoken by people from elsewhere within the world who have migrated to live within the EU which enrich the diversity of languages spoken still further. 
 

The purpose of the European Day of Language is to celebrate both the cultural and linguistic diversity within Europe and to encourage and promote language learning. The aims of the European Day of Languages include: To celebrate the diversity of languages and cultures within Europe. To encourage language learning at any age. To promote intercultural understanding. To diversify the range of languages learnt. 
 

The European Day of Languages is celebrated throughout Europe with a range of events including language classes for all ages and abilities, conferences, cultural exchanges, children’s activities and television and radio specials.