If someone said to you “Geia sou!”, would you know what it meant, or which language was being spoken? With some 225 native languages, Europe’s linguistic heritage is rich and diverse – a fact to be celebrated. But how good are we at learning the languages of our near and not so near neighbours?
Many people think that a monolingual way of life is the norm. But between a half and two-thirds of the world’s population is bilingual to some degree. At the beginning of the 21st century plurilingualism is much more the normal human condition than monolingualism. In our daily lives people come across many different languages, for example on a bus or a train, through TV, the Internet, radio or newspapers, or the ingredients on a product in the supermarket.
There is a need to increase popular knowledge and understanding of the diversity of the European languages, and of the factors affecting their maintenance and growth. There is a need to generate a greater interest in and curiosity about languages. There is a need to enhance linguistic tolerance within and between nations. These were just some of the aims of the European Year of Languages 2001 which was organized by the Council of Europe and the European Union.
September the 26th is the annual European Day of Languages. Its main aim is to encourage language learning across Europe. On the occasion of the day, a range of events are organized across Europe, including happenings for children, television and radio programs, language classes and conferences. The Chair of Foreign Languages of Chelyabinsk Law Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation has also taken part in this event, having organized the Annual Students’ Internet Project “One World – Many Voices”. The primary objects of the project were to promote learning English among students, provide them with authentic reading opportunities, to inform students about a particular area, familiarize students with the use of the Internet.
This book is the result of our two-year work. Its goal is to give the floor to those willing to share their ideas of why and how they are learning foreign languages. The articles published here touch upon various aspects of education, culture, history and legal science revealing the personality of its author. There are so many people in this world and if you have something to speak out, knowing any foreign language will give you a good chance to be heard.
We would like to thank all the participants of the competition and their research supervisors for their invaluable contribution and support!
