Sportive Way to Commemorate the European Day of Languages at Vytautas Magnus University
The European Day of Languages was commemorated on September 25, 26. VMU Institute of foreign languages which has been very inventive in celebrating this event for several years already together with Students Mission organized basketball tournament ‘’Fight for the Language’’.
According to the Director of the Institute professor Nemira Macianskiene, the European Day of Languages 2014 united two leading interests of VMU students: basketball and foreign languages. The recent World Basketball Championships in Spain suggested the topic for the event: basketball. The tournament took place in an unusual location- in the vicinity of Kaunas Zalgiris arena.
VMU students had been invited to register their basketball teams which were to compete for a selected language. 16 squads were formed representing the English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Latin and Lithuanian languages. The players were accompanied by the cheering groups. The fans of the Spanish language team stood out from the crowd with their creative chants while the fans of the English language team ‘’White Knights’’ were waving white balloons and flying colourful banners with the team slogan ‘’ Ball until you fall’’.
Vital fight started with the very first whistle of the referees, each team was trying to demonstrate the best basketball skills playing in teams of 3.In the atmosphere of emotions and noise, even the lecturers joined the ranks of fans accompanying every single point scored by their students with cheerful shouts. After the eighth finals were over the Spanish language students offered all the spectators to move a little dancing Macarena.
The Lithuanian and German languages teams met in the final. The squad with bizarre title ‘’Never losing’’ won with the final score 16:9. Team players Lukas Grabauskas, Rokas stankevicius and Paulius Danisevicius were awarded by Professor Nemira Macianskiene with winner cups and language coupons giving them an opportunity to learn one of the 30 foreign languages taught at the Institute of foreign languages. The second place holder team ‘’ Historiker’’ enjoyed the prizes as well.
Basketball tournament was not the only event at the university meant to commemorate the European Day of languages. The Institute lecturers together with international students visited Kaunas Jonas Jablonskis, Garliava Juozas Luksa and VMU ‘’Rasa’’ gymnasiums. Visiting students from Spain, Czech Republic, The Netherlands and South Korea presented their countries culture and gave students a unique possibility to get acquainted with the primers of various languages.
Two more events took place on September 25. The Norwegian language lecturer U. Mikucionis gave a lecture on supernatural creatures in Scandinavian mythology, while M. De Cervantes Spanish language club initiated the cycle ‘’Leaving her trace in the world culture history’’ dedicated to celebrated Spanish Language professor Birute Ciplijauskaite.
The European Day of Languages by the decree of the European Council is commemorated on September 26.
Vigilija Ziuraite
Photos by Jonas Petronis (j.petronis@vkt.vdu.lt).
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