On 25 September, the European Commission's office in London hosted a major exhibition at Victoria Station to celebrate the European Day of Languages.
On 25 September, the European Commission's office in London hosted a major exhibition at Victoria Station to celebrate the European Day of Languages. Victoria Station provided the ideal starting point for a journey down the languages route.
Our mission was to convince the travelling public that learning a language would get them further in their journey through life. In this we were ably supported by representatives from language and cultural institutes, as well as embassies, who were on hand to offer expert advice on learning languages such as French, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Italian, as well as sign language and even English. Information about the European Union and its work also offered at the stand was much appreciated by all age groups.
Besides interest from passing commuters of all ages and backgrounds, some schools and individuals paid us a special visit, having read about the exhibition in the media and on websites. A variety of prizes were on offer to those who tried their hand at our Euroquiz. Other fun activities included language scrabble, table football and a lucky dip to win a language course.
The festivities were not restricted to London. Libraries and schools throughout the country celebrated the day with language tasters, bingo, quizzes and even speed dating in another language.