2. European Day of Languages
Words like café, pasta and ballet are all
examples of loanwords. This means that we
are using lots of different languages every
day, without even realising it!
Did you know that many words that we
use in English are borrowed from other
languages? These are called loanwords.
3. European Day of Languages
Can you think of any more loanwords?
Do you know which language they are from?
pizza
buffet
sushi
tai chi restaurant
yoga
kindergarten
pretzel
4. European Day of Languages
We can also look for other clues like cognates
(similar words with the same meaning),
familiar words and patterns, as well as the
context or any pictures.
Many other languages also use English loanwords. They can
help us when we are trying to work out what a sentence means.
What other strategies can you use to work out
what a sentence means in a different language?
5. We are going to go on a
language hunt across
Europe to find examples of
different languages.
What clues can you use to help work
out what the languages are?
European Day of Languages
6. European Day of Languages
Paris Laduree by Herry Lawford is licensed under CC BY 2.0, (Cropped from original).
Firstly, let’s take a look
around! Which language do
you think this sign is in?
Answer
Well done if you worked out
that this sign is in French.
What do you think you can buy
in this shop?
Next
Click here for a clue!
7. European Day of Languages
Café Fútbol by F Delventhal is licensed under CC BY 2.0, (Cropped from original).
Time to stop for a quick
snack and a drink! Can
you work out which
language you would need
to speak in this café?
How did you work out
that this language is
Spanish? Did you spot
any familiar words?
Click here for a clue!
Answer
Next
8. European Day of Languages
Autobús by Daniel Lobo is licensed under CC0 1.0
Now, let’s run to catch a bus.
Which language do you think
this sign is in?
This was tricky because of the
different alphabet. Well done if
you guessed that it was Greek!
Have you heard the phrase, ‘It’s
all Greek to me!’ before? What
do you think it means?
Click here for a clue!
Answer
Next
9. European Day of Languages
Sklep Polski by David Hall is licensed under CC BY 2.0, (Cropped from original).
Answer
Next
Click here for a clue!
It’s time to do some shopping. What
language do you think is spoken in
this shop? Are there any clues?
Well done if you spotted
that the shop sign is the
same colour as the Polish
flag. Do you know any
facts about Poland?
10. European Day of Languages
German signs by RaeAllen is licensed under CC BY 2.0, (Cropped from original).
This notice is telling us that we need to go
inside the shop to pay. What language will
we need to use inside the shop?
There weren’t many clues here but you may
have recognised that ‘Danke’ is German for
‘Thank You’. Do you know any other
German words?
Click here for a clue!
Answer
Next
11. European Day of Languages
menu in Rome by Nick Kenrick is licensed under CC BY 2.0, (Cropped from original).
After all that shopping, it’s
time to sit down and relax
in a restaurant. This menu
looks delicious. Can you
recognise anything to help
work out the language?
Well done if you knew that
this is an Italian menu.
Can you think of any more
Italian dishes?
Next
Click here for a clue!
Answer
12. European Day of Languages
Airport Dublin by Marcus Meissner is licensed under CC BY 2.0, (Cropped from original).
Click here for a clue!
After that, let’s head to the
airport. There’s a helpful
English translation, but
which language do you
think this sign is in?
The airport is in Dublin and
the sign is in Irish, which is
also known as Gaelic. Over
100,000 people speak this
as their first language.
Answer
Next
13. European Day of Languages
Polar bear alert - Gjelder hele Svalbard by Kitty Terwolbeck is licensed under CC BY 2.0, (Cropped from original).
Let’s do some more
exploring around Europe.
This time we need to watch
out for polar bears! What
language could this be?
This sign is in Norwegian.
Norway is a country with
mountains and glaciers. You
will even find polar bears in
Svalbard, which is a group
of islands between Norway
and the North Pole.
Click here for a clue!
Answer
Next
14. European Day of Languages
sign by Gustavo Veríssimo is licensed under CC BY 2.0, (Cropped from original).
Click here for a clue!
Let’s head to somewhere
that’s not so cold. This
sign is directing us to the
beach, so that we can
enjoy the sunshine. What
language is it written in?
Well done if you were
able to work out that this
is Portuguese. Apart from
Portugal, do you know
any other countries that
speak Portuguese?
Answer
Next
15. European Day of Languages
Texel_2004_ 178 by rs-foto is licensed under CC BY 2.0, (Cropped from original).
Be careful on the beach – we need to avoid
the quicksand! Which language is this?
This warning sign is in Dutch. As well as
the Netherlands, five other nations have
Dutch as their official language. Can you
find out what these are?
Click here for a clue!
Answer
Next
16. European Day of Languages
Station sign at street level by Albert Lugosi is licensed under CC BY 2.0, (Cropped from original).
Our adventure across Europe
is nearly over. Let’s catch the
underground to start our
journey home. Which
language could this be?
Answer
There weren’t many clues to
help but well done if you
guessed that the sign is in
Hungarian. Many people claim
that Hungarian is one of the
hardest languages to learn.
Next Slide
Click here for a clue!
17. European Day of Languages
Celebrating European Day of Languages
allows us to recognise the importance of
all these languages.
Did you know that there are probably over 5000 languages
spoken in the world and over 200 of those are in Europe?
With a partner, discuss why you think it’s
important to learn a language.
18. European Day of Languages
This is why there are loanwords in lots of
languages and why some countries speak
several different languages and dialects.
Lots of people live in different countries from where
they, or their family, originally come from. This can
often mean that new ideas, beliefs, customs and
languages are shared around the world.
How many different
languages are spoken
in your school?
19. Language Explorers
With a partner, research a country of your choice and find
out which languages are spoken there. Then choose one of
the languages – can you find out how to say five different
things? Share your knowledge with your classmates!
20. European Day of Languages
Good luck on your adventures and
remember to keep looking out for
different languages!