European Day of Languages: 40 Activities For Every Subject
Friday, 23rd August 2024
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Our MFL Consultant shares the best European Day of Languages activities to involve your whole school in the celebrations.
Exposing your students to a range of languages can help them develop an appreciation for other cultures, enhance their understanding of the world and embrace diversity.
Incorporating these European Day of Languages activities will not only promote language learning but can provide cultural capital and help make deeper connections within their studies.
You don’t have to be a language teacher to get involved, select your subject for some activity inspiration this European Day of Languages!
Literacy
These European Day of Languages activities fit right into literacy lessons and can help students make connections to their own language while understanding linguistic diversity.
Famous quotes
Take key quotes from books or poems you’re currently studying and translate them into different European languages. Ask your students to guess what the quote is. Bonus points if they can guess the language too!
Great for: KS4-5
Idioms of the World Activity
Idioms can give us an insight into languages that go beyond communication.
Idioms can offer an understanding of certain communities and a country’s history, making them great for language learning.
Share these idioms with your classroom to help them better understand their target language.
Great for: KS3-5
Borrowed words bingo
An important part of language learning is understanding how new words were brought into their target language (and their own language!) You can do this by learning about “borrowed words” which show linguistic similarities between two different languages.
A fun activity for European Day is Borrowed Word Bingo. Download this list of words originating from other languages and match them up.
Great for: KS3-5
Language learning poetry
Explore the importance of European languages through poetry. Give your students topics like ‘Europe,’ ‘diversity,’ and ‘culture’ and ask them to write poems that explore these titles. This is a great way to explore these ideas in depth and help develop an appreciation for different languages spoken.
Great for: KS4-5
Maths & Science
These maths and science-themed activities will encourage even reluctant language learners to join in the European Day of Languages festivities.
Languages spoken around your school
Ask students to find out which of their teachers can speak the most languages. This is a fantastic way to celebrate linguistic diversity and also ties into data collection.
Great for: KS3-4
The languages we speak
Ask students to collect data from each classroom around the school about which languages they can speak. Then, your class can compile the data and present it however they like. You can proudly display the information in your classroom to celebrate the languages spoken.
Great for: KS3-4
Times tables with a twist
Put a spin on learning times tables this European languages day by teaching students times tables in a new language. This can help promote language learning and also help them memorise the multiplications in their own language.
Great for: KS1
Iconic landmarks
Ask students to research famous structures and landmarks in Europe. Once they have a favourite, they can build a replica model using materials from around the classroom.
This can help develop students’ language learning as they get an insight into different European countries and their most popular landmarks.
Here’s some inspiration:
- Big Ben, England
- Eiffel Tower, France
- Basílica de la Sagrada Família, Spain
- Colosseum, Italy
- Tower of Pisa, Italy
- Stonehenge, England
- The Louvre, France
- Arc de Triomphe, France
- Florence Duomo, Italy
- Brandenburg Gate, Berlin
- Acropolis of Athens, Greece
- Sun Voyager, Iceland
- Dubrovnik City Walls, Croatia
- Belem Tower, Portugal
Great for: KS3-4
Currency Conversion
Speak to your class about different European countries and quiz them about the currency they’d need if they visited. You can then find out conversion rates and create maths problems to solve around money in different places
Great for: KS3
Geography
Geography and European Day of Languages go hand in hand. These activities help raise awareness of the world around us, the European Union, and how modern languages influence cultural diversity.
Where am I?
Show students images from Europe, including famous landmarks, towns or events and quiz them about where they were taken.
Tip: Make this activity more difficult by zooming in or including snippets of certain places. You can incorporate language skills by including clues in different modern languages.
Great for: all key stages depending on difficulty
Where in the world?
Show your students pictures of flags from different countries and ask them to identify which countries speak French and Spanish.
You can head to round 5 of our Big Summer Languages Quiz for this great lesson starter.
Great for: KS3-4
Country Profile
European Day of Languages is about getting a deeper insight into different countries to help build an appreciation for different cultures. Ask students to choose a European country and find out:
- Capital city
- Population
- Languages spoken
- Borders with other countries
- Tallest mountain
- Typical food
Great for: KS3-4
Resolve issues
Ask students to research current issues in a European city for example littering in Paris. Ask them to come up with solutions to combat this problem.
Great for: KS4-5
MFL treasure hunt
Create a treasure hunt around the school using clues in different languages.
Use this resource to help you plan.
Great for: All stages depending on difficulty
Celebrate native speakers
Watch this video and learn about how 50 native speakers keep their indigenous languages alive, a fascinating way to learn about various languages and the importance of cultural diversity.
Great for: KS4-5
Test yourself
Test your knowledge of other countries with this fun classroom quiz.
Great for: KS3-4
Design, Technology, Art & Music
These interactive hands-on activities will continue the European Day of Languages celebrations!
Eurovision
Need a fun way to celebrate European Day of Languages?
Look no further than Eurovision! Split students into groups and ask them to perform a song about different countries.
Great for: Key stage 3+
Design a t shirt
Raise awareness about European Day of Languages by taking part in the official t shirt design competition.
Submit your design on the edl website.
Great for: Key stage 3+
Explore language through music
Ask students to choose a genre of music or a song they like, and then find it in a different language. Students can share their new music discoveries with the class as a fun way to encourage language learning.
Great for: Key stage 5
Inspired art
Study artists from other cultures and ask students to recreate their masterpieces using the artist’s signature style.
Great for: KS3-4
Design a menu
Research school meals from a European country, then ask students to design a menu for your school inspired by their signature dishes.
Great for: KS3
Travel brochures
Collect travel brochures from various European destinations and use them to create a collage including greetings and other useful phrases.
For IT students, you can ask them to turn the information into a website and for art students they can create a poster illustrating the key facts.
Great for: KS3-5
PE
Get active while you learn with these European Day of Languages activities.
Learn to play traditional games
Teach students to play traditional games from around the world. Here are some of our favourites:
- Pentanque (France)
- Lippa (Italy)
- Square (Romania)
- Dodgeball (Poland)
- Basque bowls (Spain)
Great for: Any key stage
Euros match
Hold a football tournament with teams split into different European countries. A great way for students to remember new countries!
Great for: Any key stage
Sports tournaments
Help students learn a few words by changing the instructions of popular sporting games. For example, you could refer to sports equipment, directions and instructions to your target language.
Great for: Any key stage
Languages
Your language learners will love these European day of Languages-themed activities that will encourage them to continue studying languages.
Language detective register
Take the register in a different language at the beginning of each lesson and ask students to guess which language it was afterwards.
Great for: Everyone
Make videos
Ask students to create a short video illustrating a challenging piece of oral dexterity in the language they’re learning. Submit your entries to the edl website.
Great for: KS4
Language learning mix-up
Change the language on classroom computers or other electronic devices to a different language for an hour. A simple way to learn new phrases in your target language!
Great for: KS4
Learn about polyglot women
Discover how some familiar faces can inspire your students on their language-learning journey with our classroom poster illustrating the benefits of learning another language.
Great for: KS3-4
Explore languages through maps
This interactive European languages map is a great resource to highlight similarities and differences between languages spoken. The perfect lesson starter for European Languages Day!
Great for: KS4
Language guessing game
Another great game to add to your European Day of Languages activities is this fun game where students can guess the language being spoken. It also highlights regional and minority languages to show their linguistic diversity.
Great for: KS3-5
Whole School Activities
Here are some easy ways to encourage the whole school to celebrate European Day outside lessons.
Assembly
Kick things off with a European Day of Languages assembly. Share the significance of learning another language, the diverse career opportunities it brings and why languages should be celebrated.
Our MFL consultant, and former MFL teacher, Sohelie Zafar has put together a video you can show in an assembly or a lesson to encourage your students to get involved.
Dressing up
Encourage students to wear or bring in clothing that represents a language or a country and ask them to share this with the class.
Great for: Primary
Bake off
Kick your European Day of Languages activities off with a treat by hosting a bake sale where students and teachers bring in themed cakes inspired by other cultures.
Great for: Everyone
Changing Signs
Change posters and signs around the school into different languages or post a translated version underneath. Change toilet signs, fire exit signs, and building names for an easy way to share a few words.
Great for: Everyone
Guest speakers
Invite ex alumni, and EAL parents, and contact universities or different companies to speak to your students about the benefits of language learning to celebrate European Day.
Great for: Everyone
European Day café
Turn your canteen into a European café with different food and drink, a translated menu, and themed decorations to celebrate European languages. Don’t forget to order in your target language!
Great for: Everyone
European Day of Languages market
Ask each student to bring an item of food traditionally associated with a European country.
Split the class into groups (or ‘markets stalls’) where students can take turns tasting and guessing which country the food originates from.
Great for: KS3-5
European Languages Dress up
Invite children to come to school dressed in the colours of the flag of the language they are learning or as a famous person from that country.
Great for: Primary
Themed lunch
Talk to your catering team ahead of European Day of Languages and ask them to plan themed lunches throughout the week inspired by a different country each day.
Great for: Everyone
