Already for the 9th time, the Polyglot Gathering took place this year in Prague, Czech Republic, at the University of Economics and Business (VŠE).

From May 15th to 19th, the participants could enjoy a lot of talks, workshops, and other activities in terms of languages and cultures.

But now, let the numbers speak:

• 811 people registered
• from 83 different countries
• more than 30 organizers and volunteers

☝️-Wow, what a big event! Can you tell me more about it?

On the 15th, the first participants arrived and started to get to know each other or meet some friends until evening. Then the event started officially with the opening ceremony presented by Petro, in front of hundreds of amazed and happy eyes. Speeches are important, so parties are. After those welcoming words, most of our throats needed to drink something (especially Petro’s, we just like drinking), and that’s why we all went to a bar and kept talking and meeting until go to sleep and were ready for the next day. 

The first programs began at 9:00 am and every hour the participants could choose between at least 3 different programs according to their preferences. They also could take a walk, rest, visit the language practice tables to improve their levels, or meet new people. Between programs, we could enjoy the coffee break area to charge batteries and fight tiredness with tea or coffee.

☝️But, what did you do exactly?

Good question! There were several types of programs, but they all have language as a common point.

During talks, the speakers (who also were participants) could generally present a 45-minute talk about whatever they wanted. For example, it could be a presentation of language, about self-improvement, or personal experiences… Via the app Slido, the audience could ask some questions that the speaker could answer at the end of the talk.

During crash courses, you can quickly learn the basics of a language, have some advice for learning in the right way, and find some people with whom you can learn together.

During workshops, it was more interactive. Everyone could participate and put into practice what they were learning. It was also a great opportunity to show their skills, talents and knowledge:

During the Talent show, every person who registered before the event had a few minutes to present what they’re good at.  And I certify: speaking more than 10 languages isn’t the only talent of polyglots! Most of them can sing, dance, juggle, play instrument(s),… (but also forget their name tags and stuff…)

During the Lightning talks, they could do a 5-minute presentation about whatever they wanted, about trips, works, connection with languages, or just any subject that they were interested in. Trust me, they have some interesting stories.

A language challenge was organized 50 days before the event, and the purpose was to start learning a new language. This year you could choose Czech or Esperanto (or both) and show your progress during a non-official exam.

As this article, most of the talks were in English, because even if we all know that Esperanto must be THE language, to have an international understanding, we chose English as the common language (but who knows, maybe in 2-3 years, everybody will speak Esperanto there).

☝️-And what about the food?

Of course, the participants had the right to eat. Every noon and evening, the canteen was open for those who ordered meals. Meat, vegetarian, and vegan – 3 diets were offered to suit everyone. After empty plates and full stomachs, they quietly returned to their activities, ready to feed their brains.

☝️– But did you do nothing in the evenings?

Guys.. polyglots are close to esperantists, so of course we did something. And what things! We’ll not talk about the Disco party, which happened.. without music, but this wasn’t enough to stop people who still enjoyed and had fun. Furthermore, we all could attend two multilingual concerts at the university. Olga and Kaŝi gave us two beautiful and rousing moments! We also traveled through many countries during the Culinary festival and the Musical language quiz. The Polyglot expo was the occasion for participants to present their arts, companies, apps,… And you certainly guessed that there were also a lot of non-official programs, most of the time in bars.

☝️What if I missed the event? Do I ever know this incredible feeling of friendship, the joy of learning from awesome people, the taste of being a part of this big family, is it worth continuing to live now?

Don’t panic! Soon the same event (even much better) will happen again. First online for all those who will not participate physically or just want to enjoy it double time, and then on-site, we will let you know when and where as soon as possible. While waiting, you can find many of the talks that were recorded and watch them on our Youtube channel @PolyglotGathering.

For more interactive times, you can already join our telegram groups if you want to speak to other participants and/or find someone to do language tandem and then be prepared for next year!

 ☝️-Haven’t you forgotten anything?

I have, you’re right! Without our sponsors and partners, nothing would have been possible, so thanks a lot to Glossika (official sponsor), UEA (executive sponsor), Italki, uTalk, Vincent Pol University and Phrasing (bronze sponsors), Language Coaching Academy, Skapago and Polygloss (start-up sponsors), Vortoj, Slovake.eu, Deutsch.info, Prague convention bureau, Tandem and Slido (partners), and finally Costa Coffee, which offered us the possibility of drinking as much coffee as we needed.

☝️-And the final word?

Thanks to all of you who participated and helped, we’re already happy to see you again or welcome you if it will be your first time. Year after year, the event becomes more and more perfect thanks to you, and in this way, you show everyone that with understanding, learning, and respect, diversity is the biggest force! Thanks a lot and see you soon!

Here you can find the photos of the event👇: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1J3th2ABnoG_Up2CxM612s6UauUZluw_U?usp=sharing

Léa Gavoille, volunteer in E@I .

The annual international meeting called Polyglot Gathering will take place in just a couple of days – this year even twice. What does it mean to be a polyglot, though? Loosely defined, anyone who is interested in foreign languages and who actively learns more of them in their free time can be called a polyglot.

Following 3 years in Berlin, 3 years in Bratislava and 2 years online waiting to meet in person in Poland, the polyglots will eventually meet in Poland – as well as online again!

The Polyglot Gathering Online will take place between 28th April and 1st May. Such an online version allows you to take part from the comfort of your home, wherever you are in the world. In addition to this, the in-person Polyglot Gathering in Teresin, Poland, will happen from 1st to 6th June – as it was originally planned for 2020.

As Peter Baláž, the coordinator of the organising NGO bearing the name of Education@Internet (E@I) puts it: “For the past two years we’ve tried hard to come up with a way not to lose an event of such great potential, and keep the community alive despite not being able to travel, and did so successfully. As the pandemic becomes less of a burden, we decided to keep the momentum and advantages of meeting online as well as finally meeting again on-site, in Poland, as was planned 2 years ago. For the on-site event, the place allows us to somewhat rethink the structure of the event and enjoy Polyglot Gathering 24/7, as the venue and hotels will be close to each other.”

What will be actually going on at the Polyglot Gatherings?

All days of the event will be packed with interesting lectures, language tandems, crash courses and other social activities and games – both online and on-site. Moreover, there will be space for contests, a multilingual concert and informal discussions. The program allows attendees to choose what sparks their interest the most. By attending the lectures, you will have a chance to get more knowledgeable in topics related with languages and language-learning – be it a talk about a lesser known language or language learning strategies. The event will also give you the opportunity to practice any language of your choice, thanks to the languages you’ll be free to list on your nametag and the virtual language practice rooms.

Every year, various linguists, educational app developers, publishers, professors, teachers, translators and interpreters, as well as language enthusiasts taking learning of foreign languages as a hobby meet and give lectures at the event. As this gathering is a large meetup of polyglots, participants are able to get to know one another, exchange their language-learning “know-how” or seek understanding of other cultures.

The Polyglot Gathering Online meeting will also be attended by some enthusiasts who can speak up to 30 foreign languages! Therefore, you can look forward to meeting the greatest experts in this field – such as Richard Simcott or Luca Lampariello.

The main topic of this year’s Polyglot Gathering in Poland will be “Languages for peace” as a way to foster the knowledge of languages and multilingualism as a tool for international understanding. “Indigenous languages” will be another emphasis of this year’s programme, echoing the International Decade of Indigenous Languages as proclaimed by the United Nations.

Solidarity with Ukraine – the organizers will give all citizens of Ukraine free attendance to the Polyglot Gathering Online. If you are Ukrainian, just use the promotional code Ukraine when registering. This is their way of expressing respect and support to Ukraine in these extremely difficult times.

Do I have to speak a certain number of foreign languages to be able to attend the event?

Certainly not! The event is open for everyone and the participants can choose what kind of program to participate in. Whether you speak one language or twenty, Polyglot Gathering will help you broaden your horizons and learn new things about the world’s languages. You will learn about new, interesting methods of learning languages and you will get the motivation to improve your previous knowledge of foreign languages or to start learning the foreign language you’ve always wanted.

So what are the benefits of learning a foreign language?

Not only does the knowledge of a foreign language increase your value on the job market, makes your travels easier and helps you make friends from abroad, it also aids in developing a range of cognitive abilities. However, learning a language requires a certain amount of motivation, as it is more of a marathon than a sprint. After reaching a certain level, one must actively use the language so that it will not be forgotten over time. The way in which individual polyglots constantly motivate themselves to keep on learning is different. Everyone would most probably agree that knowledge of several foreign languages brings a lot of motivating benefits. A few of them are also confirmed by scientists:

1. It improves the ability to make decisions. Research at the University of Chicago has found that it is easier for multilingual people to make decisions. This finding is connected with the fact that when learning a foreign language we also learn different nuances of words as well as regional expressions and when communicating we are forced to choose from among them.
2. It enhances cognitive as well as problem-solving skills. Learning a new foreign language requires the acquisition of a new system of rules, structures and vocabulary. Thus, the brain has to deal with complexity as it tries to understand new structures and absorb new information.
3. It improves social skills. Along with a foreign language we also discover a foreign culture. This allows us to be more flexible and open to other people’s opinions and behaviors. If we speak several foreign languages, we have the advantage of seeing the world from different angles, thus increasing our ability to communicate in today’s global world.
4. It delays dementia at old age. Several studies on this topic have yielded the same results. Learning a foreign language keeps your brain healthy. In multilingual people, dementia at old age occurs two to three years later.
5. It improves study results in other academic areas. According to research, the improvement of cognitive abilities results in higher scores in standardized tests in mathematics or reading comprehension. The ability to solve problems is reflected in the learning of any school subject.
6. It improves memory. The more we use our brains, the better they work. Knowledge of a foreign language requires not only learning a new vocabulary and rules of a new language system, but also recalling them and using them in practice. The brain thus takes learning a new foreign language as training at the gym.
7. The mind becomes sharper. Research by the Spanish University of Pompeu Fabra has revealed that multilingual people excel at observing their surroundings. It is easier for them to notice something irrelevant or misleading. They are also better at detecting misleading information.

As you can see, finding your way into learning a foreign language pays off. The Polyglot Gathering event is the place to gain that motivation and it doesn’t matter how many languages you speak!

Register and get access to any of our events, or both!

The program of both events as well as the registration form can be found here.

Polyglots from all over the world are looking forward to meeting you! 🙂

The Polyglot Gathering Team 

Contact: 

info@polyglotgathering.com

Peter Baláž – head organizer

peter.balaz@polyglotgathering.com

www.polyglotgathering.com

Polyglot Gathering Online is set to happen again in 2022 from 28th April to 1st May. You’ll get to enjoy talks, language practice rooms, cultural and social activities there again! Registration is now open here. Early bird tickets are available only until the 23rd of March, so register ASAP!

A draft programme can be seen here. The final programme will be made by the contributions of the various participants such as you. Fill in this form to attend as a speaker and propose your own talk, workshop, crash course or panel discussion to us!

One of the good things about online events is their inclusiveness, which allowed for the past two Polyglot Gatherings Online to gather a record number of more than 1100 language lovers from across the Globe! We’ve noticed a significant increase in participants from Asia, Africa and Latin America in particular. Even though 2022 will be the year the Polyglot Gathering comes back in person (1-6 June, in Poland), we’re not giving up on the advantages of online polyglottery!

E@I, as an international civic association, strongly condemns Russia’s current aggression

in Ukraine. It is an unjustifiable crime that will have a lot of negative consequences. We generally condemn all military conflicts, wherever and by whomever they are committed. However, the current one affects us all the more because it is happening directly in a neighboring country and because we have friends, acquaintances and colleagues in both involved countries.

At the same time, we express our compassion and solidarity with all the people affected by this aggression.

Like polyglots and Esperantists, we believe that people (but also governments!) must resolve their mutual conflicts primarily through dialogue, communication. War and violence are never the solution!

Language learning is not only of practical importance: in addition to the acquired knowledge, language learning also helps the ability to understand other people and cultures – their habits, opinions, actions. Learning languages ​​also means opening your heart, and intercultural dialogue also means being able to empathize with others, being willing to listen to them and understand them. Today, the willingness to listen to others in Europe is marked by a conflict that we did not expect in the 21st century.

A well-known Slovak proverb says: “How many languages you know, so many times you are human.” Nowadays, each of us needs to be human – even once will be enough.

We call on the government of the Russian Federation to end its military operation in Ukraine as soon as possible. We therefore call on those responsible to end this conflict peacefully as soon as possible. It is necessary to start a dialogue as soon as possible and find a solution so as not to increase the loss of lives so far. Without dialogue there is no communication, without communication there is no understanding and without understanding there is no partnership, friendship, cooperation.

Unfortunately, the current conflict is far from just about Ukraine – it is also a sad proof that we, as humanity, are still not mature. Our consciousness is still at the animal level, but unfortunately our technology is already at a much higher level – at the level of the possible extermination of humanity from the surface of our planet. Let us therefore work together to mature as human beings as soon as possible – and to realize the threat to all of us of the weapons we have developed ourselves for mutual destruction.

And when finally the weapons will be laid down, let’s not forget hastily what caused the conflict, but alsowhat made this conflict possible. Weapons are something we need in the future as little as possible, not as much as possible! Let us therefore call for the destruction of nuclear weapons, but also for the demilitarization of the world in the broadest possible sense. We believe that what humanity is really looking for and needs is harmony and peace – and these will never be gained through aggression and weapons. Peace is the only way! Peace is the only way out!