International Languages Week 2009

Press Release: International Languages Week

6 August 2009

Press Release: International Languages Week 2009

International Languages Week 2009 (ILW) will take place from Sunday 16 August to Saturday 22 August 2009. The week is an opportunity for all New Zealanders to celebrate cultural and language diversity and to encourage the learning of international languages in New Zealand. Language teachers from around the country will be organising school-based activities and celebrations from the Far North to the Deep South.

The official launch of ILW will take place in Auckland on 15 August 2009. ILW National coordinator Kenneth Leong says "The New Zealand we live in today is culturally and linguistically far more diverse than we have ever been. Hence it has never been more important for New Zealanders to have an understanding of international languages and cultures".

International Languages Week offers language teachers and students the ideal opportunity to inspire the wider community to learn more about foreign cultures and languages. In the spirit of ILW we encourage New Zealanders to use a greeting in a different language each day.

Monday 17 August - Ni hao!
Tuesday 18 August - Bonjour!
Wednesday 19 August - Guten Tag!
Thursday 20 August - Konnichiwa!
Friday 21 August - Buenos días!

Members of the public can find out more about ILW activities through various online channels and your local foreign language teachers.
The official International Languages Week website is at www.international-languages-week.org.nz

The Google Discussion group on ILW is at http://groups.google.com/group/languageweek

For Facebook users, the ILW group is at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12082261164