26 September 2022 marks the 21st anniversary of the European Day of Languages.

On the occasion of the Day, the Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić stated that "The European Day of Languages is a celebration of the rich tapestry of languages which make our continent so special. Linguistic diversity is our cultural heritage. It helps us appreciate difference and helps us understand that diversity is our strength. Let us value all languages in Europe."

Every year since 2001 the European Day of Languages celebrates the wealth of languages coexisting in Europe and beyond. The European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe (ECML), encouraging excellence and innovation in language teaching, will take part in a key event in Graz (Austria).

A wide range of initiatives are planned across the continent in this celebration of 21 years of linguistic and cultural diversity, among them: Embracing peace with languages in Ovar (Portugal) ; the Evrópski tungumáladagurinn celebration in Reykavik (Iceland) ; the Bibliothèque vivante. Je parle une autre langue in Strasbourg ; the Språkdagkonferanse 2022 in Halden (Norway) ; the European Days of Languages at Šrobárova school in Košice (Slovakia) ; a Language street celebration in Novi sad (Serbia) ; a Photo competition “Europe around me” (Georgia) ; a Giornata Europea delle Lingue - Lingue per una cultura democratica in Venice (Italy) and an online conference organised by the European Commission entitled Language competences at the service of youth.

20 suggestions of ways to celebrate this year’s European Day of Languages