How can languages bring us closer, open new doors and shape the way we connect with others?

In classrooms and beyond, languages create opportunities to learn, teach, communicate and connect…

Every year on 26 September, the European Day of Languages celebrates Europe’s rich linguistic diversity and encourages people of all ages to discover, learn and use languages. This year’s theme, “Languages unite!”, reflects the power of languages to bring people together, foster connection and strengthen inclusion and social cohesion.

The day also reminds us how languages lie at the heart of democratic life. A language can turn information into understanding, a point of view into a conversation, and participation into something that feels within reach. When people cross linguistic and cultural boundaries, they discover different ways of seeing the world, have experiences beyond their own and begin to understand one another in new ways.

To mark the European Day of Languages, the foreign language teachers and experts shared their perspectives on the impact of teaching and learning languages in two videos.

The videos, produced in co-operation with the Ministry of National Education as part of the European Union and Council of Europe Joint Programme “Enhancing Foreign Language Education Quality in Türkiye”, highlight how learning different languages and communicating in different languages can open new perspectives, deepen understanding and create meaningful connections with people.

Discover the stories below and join us in celebrating the European Day of Languages.

This activity is part of the Joint Project on Enhancing Foreign Language Education Quality in Türkiye, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe in close cooperation with the Ministry of National Education.