The UN and UNESCO say today is both “World Book & Copyright Day” and “UN English Language Day.” It’s also celebrated in some countries, particularly in the UK, as “World Book Night.”
Here’s an explanation from My English Club about UN English Language Day:
English, along with French, is one of the two working languages of the United Nations, and one of the Organization’s six official languages.
Because it is so widely spoken, English is often referred to as a “world language”, or the lingua franca of the modern era.
English Language Day at the UN is celebrated on 23 April, the date traditionally observed as the birthday of William Shakespeare. The Day is the result of a 2010 initiative by the Department of Public Information, 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 as well as 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.
The days are as follows:
Arabic (18 December)
Chinese (20 April)
English
French (20 March)
Russian (6 June)
Spanish (12 October)
Here are some resources on both of these days:
World Book Night: Leading authors line up for ‘sacred’ celebration is from The Guardian, which also has a whole collection of resources.
Southern Californians ready for latest chapter of World Book Night is from The LA Times.
The Best Videos Documenting The History Of The English Language
“Best” Lists Of The Week: Resources For Reading Instruction
The Joy of Books is from Film English.
Additional suggestions are welcome.
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