English Language Day -23 April
Though this be madness, yet there is method in ’t.
William Shakespeare, "Hamlet"
Celebrating the English language at the United Nations
English Language Day at the United Nations is celebrated on the 23rd of April — the date traditionally observed as both the birthday and date of death of William Shakespeare. As well as being the English language's most famous playwright, Shakespeare had a significant impact on modern-day English. Shakespeare's creativity with language meant he contributed hundreds of new words and phrases: 'gossip'; 'fashionable' and 'lonely' were all first used by Shakespeare. He also invented phrases like 'break the ice', 'faint-hearted' and 'love is blind'.
English is one of the languages of international communication. People from different countries and cultures are increasingly able to communicate with each other in English, even if it is not their first language. This makes it an essential tool for global cooperation and diplomacy.
At the United Nations, English is one of the two working languages, along with French.
Virtual event: Shakespeare at the UN
The UN movie society presents Shakespeare at the UN in celebration of the English language day.
Date: 23 April 2024
Time: 9:30 a.m. (EST)
Flyer with details of the event
Watch live on UN Youtube Channel | UN WEB TV
Language days at the UN
English Language Day is the result of a 2010 initiative by the UN's Department of Global Communications, establishing language days for each of the Organization's six official languages. The purpose of the UN's language days is to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity, and to promote equal use of all six official languages throughout the Organization.
Under the initiative, UN duty stations around the world celebrate six separate days, each dedicated to one of the Organization's six official languages. With the goal of increasing awareness and respect for the history, culture and achievements of each of the six working languages among the UN community, Language Days at the UN aim to entertain, as well as to inform.
Six Language Days:
| 20 March French |
20 April Chinese |
23 April English |
| 23 April Spanish |
6 June Russian |
18 December Arabic |
Multilingualism and the UN
An essential factor in harmonious communication among peoples, multilingualism is of particular importance to the United Nations. By promoting tolerance, multilingualism ensures effective and increased participation of all in the Organization’s work, as well as greater effectiveness, better outcomes and more involvement.
The balance among the six official languages has been an ongoing concern of the Secretary-General. From 1946 to the present, numerous activities have been undertaken to promote the use of the official languages, and to ensure that the United Nations, its goals and actions, are understood by the widest possible public.
In its resolution of 6 December 1999 (A/RES/54/64), the General Assembly invited the appointment of a senior Secretariat official to serve as coordinator of questions relating to multilingualism.
Multilingualism is a Core Value of the United Nations - UN Secretary-General António Guterres
Multilingualism and the United Nations - One world, many languages
Work with Us
UN language staff come from all over the globe and make up a uniquely diverse multilingual community. What unites them is the pursuit of excellence in their respective areas, the excitement of being at the forefront of international affairs and the desire to contribute to the realization of the purposes of the United Nations, as outlined in the Charter, by facilitating communication and decision-making. They include Production editors, Editors, Interpreters, Translators, Verbatim Reporters, Editorial and Desktop Publishing Assistants, and Language Reference Assistants. Visit our YouTube channel and our careers page.
Gender-inclusive language
Given the key role that language plays in shaping cultural and social attitudes, using gender-inclusive language is a powerful way to promote gender equality and eradicate gender bias. Being inclusive from a gender language perspective means speaking and writing in a way that does not discriminate against a particular sex, social gender or gender identity, and does not perpetuate gender stereotypes. These Guidelines include recommendations and materials, created to help United Nations staff use gender-inclusive language in any type of communication — oral or written, formal or informal — and are a useful starting point for anyone.
Why do we mark International Days?
International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.
Test your knowledge
Adobe Express/AI generated illustration
Test your knowledge of the English language!
UN English Language Programme
The English Language Programme (ELP) offers regular core English courses (levels one through eight), which are designed to improve general English language proficiency, as well as communication courses and special courses to meet both the work-related needs and cultural interests of members of the United Nations community.
Multilingualism at the UN: Why it matters
English Language Day at the UN (UNIFIL 2023)
Resources
- Coordination of multilingualism
- United Nations Editorial Manual
- United Nations Multilingual Terminology Database (UNTERM)
- Competitive examinations for language professionals
- Language Learning at the UN
- Online language learning at the UN
- Language proficiency examination
- Dag Hammarskjöld Library
- UNOG Library Research Guide on Multilingualism
- UN Digital Library
- UN Social Media accounts
#EnglishLanguageDay
This part of the article has been originally published in United Nations' site through this link https://www.un.org/en/observances/english-language-day
UN entities involved in this initiative
Goals we are supporting through this initiative
