European Day of Languages 2013
Each year on September 26th member states of the European Council celebrate the European Day of Languages. It is time when special attention is paid to the European languages, linguistic diversity and their acquisition.
This is already the 9th year the Latvian Language Agency together with its partners organize events of the European Day of Languages. You are welcome to participate in the events! This year events take place from September 20thuntil November 18th.
On September 20th at 11.00 o’clock language workshops will take place in the EU house, where those interested will be introduced to Italian, Spanish, French, Croatian, Greek, Polish, Norwegian and sign language in attractive and creative way. In every language workshop there will be possibility to listen to the sound of each language, get to know something essential, learn to say important phrases and maybe even to realize that it is the language you want to learn more intensively.
At 14.00 o’clock the mobile tour “Language clew” starts its way for the first time. On the tour pupils lead by singer Kašers will be able to participate in language games, competitions as well as write down their wishes to the Latvian language on a 500 m long clew. On September 26th the language clew with wishes and congratulations from children will be given to the Centre of Children’s Literature of National Library of Latvia. On September 20that 14.00 o’clock we shall start to wind the language clew at Rīga Secondary School No. 37.
At 15.00 o’clock in Goethe Institut there will be a possibility to learn German taking part in quick wit games for children.
On September 23rd the mobile tour will go on an expedition to Salacgrīva Secondary School, Staicele Secondary School, Aloja Secondary School named after Auseklis and Limbaži Primary School.
On September 24th the language clew will be winded in Education centre of Zaļenieki, Dobele Secondary School No. 1, Brocēni Secondary School and Saldus Secondary School No. 1.
On September 26th at 16.00 o’clock everyone is welcome to Goethe Institut, where musical workshop together with Tomass Ludvigs will take place. After that there is going to be movie night on which “Almanya – willkommen in Deutschland” will be showed.
At 18.00 o’clock in the yard of Eduards Smiļģis Theatre Museum the evening of Spanish, Italian, Latvian and Lithuanian language and culture “Listen, sing and taste the culture” will take place. There will be a possibility to see and feel the differences between these languages, their music, dance and other creative activities in theatrical way together with the students from The Latvian Academy of Culture.
On September 27th at 18.00 o’clock everyone is welcome to visit “Rīga Plaza” where language game “Tongue twisters” will take place. The visitors of the event will be able to examine their knowledge and quick wit trying to pronounce cheerful expressions in foreign languages. Everyone will be able to take part in a lottery organized by the language school “Skrivanek Baltic” and win a gift card for language courses.
At 19.00 o’clock in Kuldīga there will be possibility to listen to the music at sunset near Venta falls, where saxophonist Guntis Brancis is going to play melodies popular among various European peoples.
At 20.00 o’clock in park of Kuldīga there will be open-air cinema. There will be a possibility to watch movies “Runā ar mani. Latviski” and “Vienā valodā” made by the Latvian Language Agency. There will be discussion with the authors of the movies afterwards.
On September 27th-28th in the University of Tartu there will be International Baltic student conference “Bridges in the Baltic”. The aim of the conference is to get to know Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian language and culture more closely, as well as to strengthen the links between languages and cultures, to create a network of Baltic students and find common things between the Baltics. For more details see http://www.keelekeskus.ut.ee/et/programme.
On October 2nd at 18.00 o’clock everyone is welcome to visit a thematic evening “Language. Culture. Dictionary.” in the University Of Latvia, Faculty of Humanities, where a professor of University of Duisburg-Essen Ulrike Haß is going to take part.
On October 3rd in Dikļi House of Culture pupil team competition “Word in Art and Translation” will take place. During it teams of pupils from Primary School of Dikļi will compete in reading and reciting different translations of of Geothe’s “Faust”. Teams of pupils will meet poet Viks in the park of tales and will be introduced to the place where Latvian theatre and Song festival tradition was born.
At 18.30 o’clock in Riga in Nordisk Center Norwegian language workshop and club will take place.
On October 4th at 11.00 o’clock in Rūjiena Secondary School an event for pupils “Magic of a word” will take place. In the event translator Dace Meijere, professor of the University of Latvia Ina Druviete as well as Coordinator in language issues of European Commission Representative in Latvia Sandra Kaupuža will take part.
This year as well as in previous years a competition for school children from Latvia and diaspora has been announced. The competition is going on from September 20th until November 18th. All school children are invited to take part in a creative work competition “Stories of family. With roots in Latvia”. The authors of nine best essays from each school will be able to visit the Latvian Language Agency. The most beautiful stories will be collected and published in a book.
Events of the European Day of Languages 2013 are organized by the Latvian Language Agency with the support from partners:
European Commission Representative in Latvia, the European Commission’s General Directorate for Translation, “Skrivanek Baltic”, Nordisk Center, Goethe Institut, the Latvian Academy of Culture, delfi.lv, the Spanish cultural Centre “Seneca”, the Baltic-German University Liaison Office, the University of Tartu, Kocēnu County Council, Eduards Smiļģis Theatre Museum , Museum of the Kuldīga region, the Institute of France
We remind you that all the events are free of charge.
Welcome to the European Day of Languages 2013!
