To mark the occasion, the Commission organised a conference on language learning.
The online event focussed on language awareness in schools and how multilingual classrooms can support inclusion and solidarity.
In light of the large number of displaced pupils from Ukraine, participants will discuss the support currently provided to these children and their families to learn the languages of host countries, and how these pupils are best integrated into the education systems of the EU.
Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, said: “When we learn another language, we also learn another way of thinking, another perspective. The EU’s linguistic and cultural diversity is one of our strengths and rightly considered a core value of our Union.”
She added, “I am proud of how the European Commission and the Erasmus+ programme support innovation and excellence in language teaching and learning, and of the impact we have on the lives of many.”
In parallel to the online event, the Commission organised some 70 local events around the European Day of Languages with funding from the Erasmus+ programme.
The European Day of Languages is an annual opportunity to raise awareness around language learning and linguistic diversity. It started in 2001, organised jointly by the European Union and the council of Europe.