Local schools can excel in European translation contest says region's Lib Dem Euro MP

4.18.48pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 25th Sep 2008

Ahead of the European Day of Languages, Diana Wallis, the Liberal Democrat MEP for the Yorkshire and the Humber, who speaks fluent French and German and who is the President of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, is encouraging local schools from across the region to enter the European Commission's "Juvenes Translatores" (young translators) contest.

Diana commented;

"Last year's event was a great success. I am encouraging schools and colleges from across Yorkshire & the Humber to enter this event.

"I know from my visits to schools and colleges from across the region that we have some brilliant young linguists who could excel in this competition."

(Pic shows Diana in front of a road sign to Hull's Fruit Market. "Trade and therefore languages are hugely important to the region's prosperity" says Diana)

Note:-

European Day of Languages is tomorrow Friday 26th September 2008. The European Day of Languages (EDL) is a Council of Europe initiative. It is held annually on the 26th September and aims to:

• To alert the public to the importance of language learning

• To increase awareness and appreciation of ALL the languages spoken in Europe

• To encourage lifelong language learning.

All EU schools can to register up to 20 October 2008 for the European Commission "Juvenes Translatores" contest to be held on 27 November 2008.

Translators work with written text - as opposed to interpreters, whose tool is the spoken word. Professional translators translate from a foreign language into their native language, so the text they produce sounds as natural and fluent as possible

In March 2009, the winners will be invited to a ceremony in Brussels to receive their prizes form the Commissioner for Multilingualism, Leonard Orban.

Schools can register via the contest website http://ec.europa.eu/translatores

Related Link:

You can watch Diana speaking about the European Day of Languages here.