European Day of Languages (EDL) - this Thursday (26/9) - is widely celebrated in schools across the UK and the EU to recognise the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe and beyond. (If you're a teacher reading this, here's our Padlet with lots of lo-to-no-prep activities, just in case!). In workplaces however, EDL often flies under the radar, despite multilingualism being such a key ingredient for business success in our globalised world.
Embracing multilingualism in business isn’t just about being able to say "hello" in five different languages (although that's a good start! 😉), it's about adopting a more holistic approach and developing intercultural understanding to make the workplace more inclusive, globally-minded and even more innovative. Here's a few reasons why:
promoting language learning helps employees appreciate different cultures, break down communication barriers, and build mutual respect, enhancing collaborative energy in multicultural teams;
encouraging multilingualism leads to trust being built more quickly and smoother interactions with global clients and partners, which can significantly improve business outcomes, avoid costly misunderstandings and ensure fewer cultural faux pas!
research shows multilingual teams are more creative as they bring diverse viewpoints, fresh perspectives and unique approaches to problem-solving.
So, how can your workplace celebrate EDL this year, this week and start to highlight the value of language diversity and take practical steps towards creating a more connected, culturally-aware workplace?!
You'll be glad to know that don’t need to organise a full-scale cultural festival to make EDL fun and meaningful in your company or organisation. Here are some easy, fun, lo-prep ways to get involved:
*🍱 Host a "language coffee break, teatime, lunch or after-work drink" where employees share phrases, cultural facts/customs, as well as drinks/food/bakes/dishes from cultures they work with, countries they have visited or home countries/languages if relevant.
*🎶 Create a language playlist from songs/music your team knows or discovers; follow this up by looking at music videos of favourite songs, karaoke contests or even a work disco!
*🕊️ Set up a real or digital multilingual 'peace' wall, aligning with this year's theme, where employees contribute phrases or words for peace in different languages.
*🗺️ European (or world) language map, physical or virtual, where teams place pins marking countries they speak the language of, have visited, or have done business with. Discuss!
*🎯 Host a language & culture trivia quiz with questions covering anything from famous multilingual figures, unusual words from different languages or common phrases in various cultures. This can be held online quiz platforms like 'Kahoot' to keep it interactive across remote teams.
*🧠 Run a "language challenge" to see who can master the most new words or phrases by the end of the day! (Encourage friendly competition, perhaps an interactive scoreboard?!).
*🌏 Organise a international idiom or tongue twister showdown to share phrases and let others guess their meanings; it could also be done as charades. (This is likely to lead to some fun and hilarious interpretations!).
*🎬 Set up an international film or book evening - or even a regular club - and watch with subtitles, then discuss any cultural themes, discuss how words/expressions often don't translate literally, how language reflects culture, similarities and differences with own cultures;
*🗣️ Offer "language resources" eg. provide access to language-learning apps, online workshops, language exchanges - perhaps amongst people in your own organisation, if relevant/possible to teach each other basic phrases/conversation practice.
*🧑🏫 Bring in a language tutor to host a mini language lesson, teaching the basics of conversational phrases;
*😎 Decide on an immersive experience you would like to enjoy as a team and book a visit from All Abroad! Bus - from the convenience of your office or your choice of venue!
EDL is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate diversity, promote intercultural understanding, and boost the global skills that are crucial for success in today’s business world. So, how will your workplace celebrate EDL? Email us or share any ideas or activities you got up to in comments!
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