European Day of Languages at NEA GERMANIKA Language Centre
NEA GERMANIKA Language Centre in Kardzhali held an Open Day on 26 September, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The occasion was the European Day of Languages.
“We believe this day should be celebrated, as many government institutions, schools, language centres and community centres already do, because it is important to showcase the diversity of languages within the European Union,” said Svetla Zhelyazkova, Director of the Centre.
Alongside English, German and French, the European Union has many other languages, including Bulgarian, which stand on an equal footing with them. At NEA GERMANIKA Language Centre, we believe that young people today need to be well prepared and competitive when they finish school.
“Today, in Western Europe, English is the language of communication at every level, and people—even very young children—speak it. Our region is a little behind, and we would very much like to change that by encouraging multilingualism and the learning of languages other than English from an early age,” said Zhelyazkova.
All scientific research shows that languages are easiest to learn at an early age, at a level comparable to one’s mother tongue—the language is acquired without an accent.
“I am pleased that we are working with several larger companies that have already recognised the need to train their own staff,” said the Centre’s Director.
These include “Teklas” and Haloila Bulgaria.
From 9 to 10 a.m., NEA GERMANIKA’s course materials and teaching systems were presented at the language centre. From 10 to 11 a.m., teachers offered individual consultations, followed by a demonstration of the Immersion method from 11 a.m. to 12 noon.
The programme also included open lessons in German, English and Spanish. From 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., residents of Kardzhali could take a free practice test for Cambridge certificates, while from 4:30 to 5 p.m. educational games for the youngest children were planned under the motto “Discover Europe and European Languages”.
From 5 to 5:40 p.m., lessons in Business German and Business English, as well as beginner-level English and German, were scheduled. Conversation clubs in English and German were also planned for learners with a minimum language level of B1.
Radka PETKOVA
Photo: Radka PETKOVA
