The European Day of Languages is celebrated each year on 26 September. The general objectives of this event are to alert the public to the importance of language learning, to promote the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe and to encourage lifelong language learning in and out of school. The EU recognised improving language learning in the European Union as a key factor in the Lisbon strategy and the Barcelona European Council in 2002 set the objective of ensuring that all pupils study at least two foreign languages from an early age.
On this occasion, Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities publishes data on language learning of students and perceived language skills of adults.
All students in upper secondary education study two or more foreign languages in the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Finland
The highest proportions of students studying two or more foreign languages in 2007 were found in the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Finland (100% of students in upper secondary education each), Slovenia and Slovakia (both 98%) and Estonia (97%).
The largest shares of students studying one foreign language were observed in Greece (92% in 2006), Italy (74%), Ireland (73%), Spain (68%), Malta (60%) and Hungary (57%).
More than half (51%) of students in upper secondary education in the United Kingdom did not study any foreign language, followed by Ireland (19%).
In all Member States for which data are available, English is the most studied foreign language in upper secondary education, except for Luxembourg, where English, French and German are equal and Ireland and the United Kingdom, where French is most common.
In two-thirds of Member States English is the most commonly spoken foreign language
In 2007, the highest shares of the population aged 25 to 64 who perceived they spoke two or more foreign languages were found in Slovenia (72%), Slovakia and Finland (both 68%), Lithuania (66%), Estonia (56%) and Latvia (55%).
The United Kingdom (65%), Cyprus (59%), Austria (50%), Greece and Sweden (both 45%) had the largest proportion of those declaring they speak one foreign language.
The highest shares of those speaking no foreign language were found in Hungary (75%), Portugal (51%), Spain (47%), Bulgaria (44%) and Greece (43%).
In fourteen of the twenty one Member States for which data are available, English is the most commonly spoken foreign language among adults aged 25 to 64 years. Russian is most common in Bulgaria, the Baltic States and Poland.
