English Language Day (23/04)

For the first time, English Language Day, like the days of other official UN languages, was celebrated in 2010. The Department of Public Relations proposed setting special dates on which to pay tribute to the languages of the organization.

The goal of the new holidays — is to strengthen the traditions of multilingualism in the world. The United Nations has allocated six days — in the calendar, one for each of the official languages.

The date of celebration of the English language — April 23 — was the birthday of William Shakespeare —, the great English poet, writer, the most famous playwright in the world. From Shakespeare's pen came five poems, 10 chronicles, 11 tragedies, 17 comedies and 154 sonnets. Among his works are — known to any civilized inhabitant of the planet «Romeo and Juliet», «Othello», «Hamlet, Prince of Denmark», «King Lear» and others. Due to the widespread use of the English language, many fans of Shakespeare's work read his books in the original.

Today, English is considered the «world language» — is spoken by more than a billion people in several dozen countries. This is the language not only of the British, but also of residents of the USA, Ireland, Canada, Malta, Australia, and New Zealand. It is used as official in some countries in Asia and Africa.

People who speak this language are called Anglophones. It is worth noting that the so-called Standard English — pure London dialect — has undergone many changes over time in different regions, and it is often difficult for an Englishman to understand an English-speaking American or Australian.

English, along with French, is the working language of the UN Secretariat and is also one of the six official languages of the organization.

It is expected that on English Language Day, the UN Secretariat should host various — round tables, conferences, competitions, popular science exhibitions and language lessons that will allow everyone to get acquainted with the English language and culture.

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