HÀ NỘI — A European language festival in Hà Nội will allow visitors to learn English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish and learn about the diversity of the continent.

The European Day of Languages will be held on October 21 by the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) members including the UK, Germany, Spain, France, Italy and Wallonia in Belgium themed ‘Internationalisation: Challenges and Opportunities for School in Việt Nam’. 

The festival consists of two parts. In the morning representatives of the six organising EUNIC institutions and the Ministry of Education and Training will highlight opportunities and challenges for schools in Việt Nam to enhance international contact.

The morning session provides a fantastic opportunity for up to 120 experts on teaching foreign languages, lecturers and teachers to listen to talks by international speakers.

The representatives, lecturers and teachers will also present and discuss their experiences.

In the afternoon, the festival will open to anyone interested in European languages. Students, parents and anyone interested in languages and culture will be able to learn new languages in classrooms through games. Trial classes will be offered to enable participants to learn some words in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Additionally, model lessons and information on the participating countries will be offered, focusing on their languages and cultures.

‘Speak-dating’ will also be at the festival - a format to get in touch with different languages quickly. Four short films will be shown featuring the countries, landscapes, cuisines and peoples of Italy, Brussels, Spain and Germany.

There will also be a quiz offering prizes, including scholarships for intensive language courses, t-shirts, caps, books, and much more.

The seventh European Day of Languages offers unique exchange opportunities for all those interested in language, culture, international exchange and experience.

"The theme this year is not quite new but it is a trend meeting the demand of foreign language studying," said Wilfried Eckstein, director of Goethe Institute which hosts the event.

"Through the day all organising members wish to have more friends and counterparts as well. Languages help to connect Vietnamese young people with the world."

No registration is required for the afternoon portion of the festival, with entrance to all events free. — VNS