Cultural centres celebrate multilingualism on European Day of Languages

AMMAN –– European cultural centres in Amman celebrated the European Day of Languages on Saturday, holding events across the capital to encourage Jordanians to learn a new language and celebrate multilingualism.

The event was sponsored by the EU and carried out by the union’s National Institutes for Culture Cluster Jordan. 

This year’s theme was travelling and literature, following the motto “Take a journey around Europe with us: Walking in the footsteps of literary greats”, according to a statement by the organisers. 

Visitors attended day-long activities at different EU cultural centres in Amman such as the British Council, Instituto Cervantes, Institut Français, Goethe Institut, Società Dante Alighieri, and the hall of the Greek embassy in Amman. 

The activities focused on enabling participants to explore the languages, cultures and literature of Europe, highlighting how multilingualism enhances intercultural understanding, the statement said. 

Lee Hewson, teaching manager at the British Council, described the event as a fantastic way to get children and adults out to visit different centres in Amman. 

“My theme here is Shakespeare because it is a really important event for us and the British Council worldwide is focusing on Shakespeare,” she told The Jordan Times, adding that last year’s theme had focused on the “sights and sounds” of Europe, incorporating music and dance.

Mohammad Abdullah, 13, expressed interest in further exploring the British playwright’s famous work, noting that before his participation in the event he had never heard of William Shakespeare.

“I am curious to read more about Shakespeare’s works because they have something of everything — love, war and comedy,” he told The Jordan Times at the British Council in Amman.

Hewson noted that she believes the growing interest among young Jordanians to learn another language is due not to events like Saturday’s, but because they either want to study in a foreign country or go on holiday with their families. 

“English is one of the most important languages in the world, so over the last four years, especially with younger people, I see more parents choosing to invest in their children in hopes of giving them a better future,” she added. 

Rawan Qasem, an English teacher at the Levant Academy School, said such activities are useful to students because “they help them learn about different cultures and languages at an early age”.

The European Day of Languages has been celebrated annually since 2001 and focuses on activities for children, according to the programme’s website.