German Language Day so good, they celebrated it twice!
Today in the Netherlands our eyes are all on the German language, with schools and companies throughout the country organising activities centred around German. And in its home country, the spotlights were also on the German language. As a translation agency, AgroLingua just had to join in!
To promote the language and encourage more people to learn it, the German Language Association (VDS) created this day 17 years ago, as a way of helping to revive the speaking of German across the globe. Since 2012, the action group that champions the use of German in the Netherlands has designated one day in spring as German Language Day. However, this year's scheduled date of 25 March was moved to 14 September due to the impact of coronavirus. Each year, a special theme is chosen to honour the language. In 2018 "German in professional life" was central while in 2019 the theme was "German music". The theme in 2020 is "Contemporary German literature".
14 September in the Netherlands, 12 September in Germany
On German Language Day, schools organise a variety of activities to highlight the importance of the language used by our neighbours. From playing German music and cooking typical German dishes, to language villages where school children have to speak German with Germans.
This year, German Language Day in the Netherlands almost coincided with “Tag der deutschen Sprache”, which is always celebrated in Germany on the second Saturday of September. This fell on 12 September 2020. With information, cultural events and activities, the members of the German Language Association highlight the importance of the German language in preserving the culture and history of Germany.
Multiple purposes
German Language Day serves multiple purposes. It is intended, among other things, to create and consolidate language awareness, and endeavour to limit over usage of foreign words. It also promotes the importance of good native language skills in all areas of life and as one of the most important ways to connect to your own culture and heritage. Another aim is creating alliances between friends of the German language at home and abroad.
