#ThinkLanguages Week 2024
#ThinkLanguages Week Kicks off!
#ThinkLanguages Week Kicks off!
Over 17,500 students across 200 schools are celebrating #ThinkLanguages this week as they take part in their very own festival of languages and culture. Our flagship Transition Year event is now in its seventh year and has continued to grow since its inception in 2018. This increase in participation showcases the growing enthusiasm for language learning as well as the variety of languages spoken in Ireland today and the unique cultures they represent.
Schools have been busy preparing for weeks with jam packed schedules, full of interactive workshops, inspirational speakers, an insightful Opening Ceremony and more!
Partners
This year Languages Connect have renewed their partnership with several partners, including the Irish Film Institute, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and Universities across the country.
The IFI will be hosting 33 screenings of foreign language films throughout the week in regional partner cinemas across Ireland, encouraging students to think of languages outside of a classroom context.
Universities across the country are also participating in the event, inviting students onto their campus to gain an insight into the life of a language student. Many are also running language based workshops as well as making student language ambassadors available to those schools unable to visit.
The Department of Foreign Affairs is also supporting #ThinkLanguages Week through its A Career for EU Strategy, emphasising the significance of language skills in a European context. As part of this initiative, six lucky students as part of the #ThinkLanguages Champion Team, and two teachers will win a trip to Brussels to experience the multicultural vibrancy of the city and discover what a career in the EU could look like first-hand.
The Champion team have been integral to school’s planning, developing festival line ups which have been entered into the Champion Team Competition. Shortlisted schools are being visited during the week, and finalists will be announced in December, where they will be invited to a final presentation and prizegiving event that will take place in Dublin in late January.
Planning Packs & Event Resources
To support schools with their preparations, registered schools have been sent event kit packs. A Champion Team Handbook has helped guide students and teachers through what can be done before, during and after the event. Bunting and posters to promote the day in the school and beyond are also included in the pack, as well as t-shirts for the members of the Champion Team. A mix of supports including a pre-recorded Opening Ceremony with inspirational speakers from Enterprise Ireland, EU institutions, social media and TV; online language workshops, and a selection of live workshops have also been made available for the events nationwide. For more info on what happened in previous years, click here.
