The importance of the European Day of Languages (EDL) has grown and after last year break, the Faculty of Arts of UPJŠ in Košice once again managed to celebrate and promote the linguistic diversity of Europe. There is no doubt that on Thursday, 16 September 2021, our Faculty – as a leading co-organiser of the event in Košice – succeeded in fulfilling the intentions of the organisers, i.e. the European Commission Directorate-General for Translation and the Representation of the European Commission in Slovakia, represented by Mgr. Emília Andrejová.
EDL 2021 included also the diverse online activities for the public that were available on a separate website where the visitors were greeted by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts of UPJŠ in Košice, prof. PhDr. Oľga Orosová, CSc. This virtual component of EDJ 2021 significantly complemented the attendance of a limited number of pupils and students from twelve primary and secondary schools, who were personally welcomed by the Vice-Dean for International Relations of the Faculty of Arts of UPJŠ in Košice, doc. Mgr. Renáta Panocová, PhD., in the premises of the campus at Moyzesova 9. Under particularly strict anti-pandemic measures, a total of 170 language enthusiasts divided into three separate two-hour sections starting respectively at 8:00 am, 10:30 am, and 03:00 pm were admitted to the lecture halls in the Plato and Socrates buildings throughout the day.
In the Plato building, students in groups of no more than eight had a date with eight foreign languages during a speak-dating activity. With the help of lecturers, the students had an opportunity to fall in love with Slovenian, Polish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, German, Hungarian and French during a series of ten-minute sessions. The fast and entertaining language activities were followed by a relaxed atmosphere in the Socrates building, where participants – primary school pupils in the first section and secondary school students in two other sections – could discover a range of educational activities at the stands prepared by the Faculty language departments (Department of British and American Studies, Department of Germanic Studies, Department of Slovak Studies, Slavonic Philologies, and Communication) and partner institutions (Alliance française; Società Dante Alighieri Comitato di Košice; Croatian Embassy; Europe Direct Košice; SAAIC/ERASMUS+; Gymnázium Park mládeže). While the students were solving a foreign language puzzle or trying to take the first step towards a career as a translator, their teachers were presented a number of up-to-date language publications and other professional materials, provided also by the State Scientific Library in Košice.
It is not clear yet whether the successful event will take place also next year, but thanks to the emphasis which FF UPJŠ in Košice put on health protection, the employees, students, partners and guests of the Faculty were able to take part in the European Day of Languages in the covid year 2021 fully and safely.
Text:
Mgr. Peter Getlík, PhD.
Department of Slovak Studies, Slavonic Philologies, and Communication
Faculty of Arts of UPJŠ
Photos:
Mgr. Laura Hoľanová
Department of Slovak Studies, Slavonic Philologies, and Communication
Faculty of Arts of UPJŠ
