Irish Film Institute -Over 17,500 Students Celebrate #ThinkLanguages Week – A Vibrant Festival of the Languages and Cultures in Ireland

Over 17,500 Students Celebrate #ThinkLanguages Week – A Vibrant Festival of the Languages and Cultures in Ireland

19th November 2024: This week, over 200 post primary schools across Ireland are coming alive with the spirit of #ThinkLanguages Week, the nation’s largest celebration of languages and cultures. With over 17,500 transition year students participating, this event showcases the growing enthusiasm for language learning as well as the variety of languages spoken in Ireland today and the unique cultures they represent.

Organised by Post Primary Languages Ireland as part of Languages Connect, Ireland’s Strategy for Foreign Languages in Education 2017 – 2026, #ThinkLanguages Week aims to inspire students and the broader community to embrace the wealth of opportunities that come with multilingualism. Schools, students and teachers have been busy preparing to host their festival-style celebrations for weeks. Interactive workshops, foreign language films, inspirational talks, visits to primary schools, quizzes, music, dance, and much more are planned for the week, with the activities also looking to celebrate the rich cultural and linguistic diversity present in Ireland today which includes over 750,000 foreign language speakers, according to Census 2022*

Now in its seventh year, #ThinkLanguages has seen remarkable growth, reflecting the increasing enthusiasm for language learning throughout Ireland. This year, contributions from partners such as the Irish Film Institute, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the universities enrich the festivities. Media personalities, TikTok influencers, European Parliament officials and Enterprise Ireland representatives are joining the movement to demonstrate how language skills can unlock exciting opportunities across different fields.

While #Thinklanguages primarily targets TY students, everyone across the community and country are invited to join in the celebration of the languages and cultures that surround us. Whether it’s enjoying a foreign language film, learning a few phrases from a bilingual friend, or trying out a recipe from another culture, there are countless ways to engage with the #ThinkLanguages spirit.

Karen Ruddock, Director of Post-Primary Languages Ireland expressed her hope for a growing appreciation of the importance of having foreign languages in the context of the year on year expansion of the event. “We are thrilled with how #ThinkLanguages has expanded, not only in student participation but also in the support from our partners like the Irish Film Institute and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Universities across the country. This week, we encourage everyone to appreciate the importance and value of the diversity of languages and cultures around them—at home, in the workplace, and in the community. Language skills open doors in business, science, politics, and media, giving students a competitive edge in the new global context.”

One of the highlights this year comes from the Irish Film Institute (IFI) with foreign language films available across the country in over 10 venues, as well as at the IFI in Dublin, across the week.
IFI Education Programme Manager Holly Furlong shared her enthusiasm: “We are delighted to renew our partnership with #ThinkLanguages Week for 2024. Last year, over 4,000 students engaged with films during the event. From November 18-22, we will host 33 screenings of films in French, German, and Spanish at regional partner venues across the country, along with special screenings at the IFI in Dublin. These include the gripping migration story ‘Exodus’ and the Berlinale Generation Crystal Bear winner  ‘Who by Fire’, featuring a post-screening Q&A with Director Philippe Lesage. For those unable to attend in person, we offer a special discounted #ThinkLanguages Week Bundle for classroom screenings via the IFI Schools streaming platform.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs is also supporting #ThinkLanguages Week through its A Career for EU Strategy, emphasising the significance of language skills in a European context. As part of this initiative, six students and two teachers will win a trip to Brussels to experience the multicultural vibrancy of the city and discover what a career in the EU could look like firsthand.

Funded by the Department of Education, Languages Connect was launched to support a strong, growing economy while also promoting a multicultural and inclusive society, which is a key objective of Connect, Ireland’s Strategy for Foreign Languages in Education 2017 – 2026.

For more information, please visit: languagesconnect.ie/thinklanguages

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