On 26 September each year, the EU celebrates the richness of its languages and cultures through the European Day of Languages (EDoL). This is an opportunity for people, schools and organisations across Europe to discover the fun of learning new languages and to find out why multilingualism matters. There are lots of ways to get involved – from UK school competitions to a wide range of activities and resources.
EDoL Annual Writing Competition for UK schools (deadline 7th October)
The Association of Language Learning North East and Network for Languages North East ‘s annual writing competition for UK schools is open to language learners in any key stage. The intention is that this might form an activity in your school around the European Day of Languages itself (26th September), so the deadline for submission of entries will be: Wednesday, 7th October 2026.
Click here to download the competition information, links to resources and the entry form
Pupils are encouraged to create a piece of text in a language they are learning (other than English) with an illustration on the theme of A few words that mean so much, exploring how carefully chosen words can make a difference to someone who reads them.
- One Kind Word is the suggestion for primary pupils, who can be encouraged to write a simple message that makes someone smile
- One Powerful Message is the suggestion for secondary pupils, who can write a message that matters.
At its heart, this competition demonstrates that languages are an integral part of reading, literacy, and communication. Reading is not only about English: it is about understanding and expressing ideas, emotions and cultures across different languages. This year’s competition is also designed to support and contribute to the National Year of Reading 2026, a UK-wide initiative encouraging children and young people to rediscover the enjoyment and relevance of reading in their everyday lives.
Vouchers will be offered to winners for each key stage, up to and including KS5. There are always a great range of entries and we encourage schools to get involved with the competition as part of wider celebrations of EDoL and languages in your school.
European Day of Languages – EU resources and activities
The European Day of Languages is a joint initiative by the Council of Europe and the European Commission. This year the theme is ‘Languages Unite!’ There are lots of free resources and activities available now.
- 2026 European Day of Languages – Official poster
- Language challenges app – Learn languages through fun quizzes and missions
- There are more resources on the European Day of Languages – Council of Europe Centre for Modern Languages website, which will add even more over the summer
Additional links and information