It’s time for another edition of Multilingualism Day at the European Parliament in Brussels! This event is a great opportunity to celebrate multilingualism and discover how the European Parliament works in 24 languages. Different activities take place on 27 and 28 September 2024, offering a chance to meet European Parliament interpreters and translators, test your language skills and join different workshops, talks and engaging activities.
Multilingualism ensures that all European citizens can use their own language to follow the work of their democratic representatives in the world’s most multilingual parliament. Visitors of this annual event will get a clear picture of what it looks like to work in a truly unique environment with the 24 official languages.
What’s on the programme:
Mark your agenda – workshops, quizzes and on-site activities as well as visits of the Hemicycle plenary chamber. On Friday 27 September, the programme will focus on interactive online workshops while the doors of the European Parliament open on Saturday 28 September with a diverse and engaging on-site activities.
–Online workshops, Friday 27 September-
Dive deeper into interpretation and translation in these interactive workshops. The online sessions cover various aspects of working as a language professional at the European Parliament and are a great opportunity to get your questions answered.
The workshops are limited to small groups, so registration is mandatory and on a first come, first served basis. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email with details on how to take part. Sessions last between 30 and 90 minutes and will be held in a variety of languages.
Registration: Book your spot through the registration platform here.
–Event at the European Parliament in Brussels, Saturday 28 September–
Explore multilingualism through fun activities in the SPAAK visitors’ centre (10.00-18.00). You will need to register at the entrance so be sure to bring a valid identity card or passport with you (no driving licence).
GROUND FLOOR
Talks with interpreters and translators
Gain more insight into interpretation and translation with talks about the different facets of the two professions and multilingualism in general.
Meeting room 0C.11
Talks interpreted into Dutch, English, French, German and Italian.
10.30-11.00: A day in the life of an interpreter
11.10-11.40: A day in the life of a translator
11.50-12.20: Being a translator or an interpreter in the age of AI
12.30-13.15: Multilingualism in democracy – a gateway to a shared European culture and transparency?
Panel discussion with Agnieszka Walter-Drop, Director-General for Logistics and Interpretation for Conferences, Valter Mavrič, Director-General for Translation and Jesús Carmona Núñez, Director for Media.
14.45-15.15: How do you become an interpreter or a translator?
15.25-15.55: A day in the life of an interpreter
16.05-16.35: A day in the life of a translator
16.45-17.15: Being a translator or an interpreter in the age of AI
Meeting room 0C.41
Talks without interpretation
11.00-11.45: Traineeships in translation and interpreting at the European Parliament
13.30-14.15: Linguistic horizons of EU enlargement
15.30-16.15: Traineeships in translation and interpreting at the European Parliament
- Photo booth: get your Multilingualism Day souvenir!
- Audio booth: record the news in any of the 24 official EU languages and become an anchor for the day! The audio file is then edited, mixed, and sent to you as an audiogram that you can share with friends and family or on your socials.
- “Write and translate clearly for multimedia content” workshop: discover how to adapt written content for various media formats in a clear and citizen-friendly way, then record in our professional audio booth! Registration required at the Welcome Desk on the ground floor.
- My House of European History recording corner: take a seat and add your European story to this collaborative history project.
- Temporary tattoos: Show your love for languages with a tattoo.
- Europarl Radio: our very own Europarl Radio will be broadcasting live from Multilingualism Day. Tune in for multilingual interviews with translators, interpreters and participants, European music and exclusive insights from the event… wherever you are!
- Translation in action: try your hand at translating a text into your mother tongue by using the tools our translators use and get some tips and tricks from the pros!
FOURTH FLOOR
Experience the European Parliament Hemicycle (10.30-17.00, every 30 minutes)
Discover where debates and votes take place. Multilingual presentations with Q&A.
Registration in front of the Hemicycle on the 4th floor.
Interpretation booths: try interpreting in our practice booths and get feedback from an interpreter!
Visit a booth: a guided visit to one of the interpretation booths in the Hemicycle.
Registration on the 4th floor.
Photo wall: take a photo for a chance to win a prize!
Language games: Games for kids and adults. Come and test your language skills in a fun way!
Translation and clear language workshops in English, French, Dutch and German: try your hand at translating with our expert translators, and/or learn the basics of clear language in an interactive way.
Registration needed at the Welcome Desk on the ground floor.
Entrance to this event is free and open to everyone! For the full programme, check the page of Multilingualism Day or consult the Facebook page of Visit European Parliament.
