English Language Day 2021: Date, significance and all you need to know

Every year, the English Language Day is celebrated on 23 April. The United Nations observes this day to celebrate multilingualism. It is a day to promote history and culture, create awareness, and celebrate the success of the largest speaking language in the world.

Why is the Day Celebrated?

The day is celebrated as a mark of respect and to celebrate the life and works of English poet and writer William Shakespeare. He was born on 23 April 1564 and died on 23 April, 1616.

The great writer coined 422 new words like ‘new-fangled’ ‘dauntless,’ ‘lacklustre,’ ‘multitudinous,’ ‘arch-villain,’ etc. The day was established by the UN Department of Global Communications in 2010. English is one of the two working languages of the UN. In total there are six official languages of the United Nations. They are English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Russian.

Significance

English language originated in medieval England and has taken its name from the Angles -- a West Germanic tribe. Around 1500 years ago, only three tribes were known to speak this language. Today, it is the most important and widely spoken language. Every year, the number of English language speakers increases manifold as compared to any other language in the world. Often it is also known as the most complicated language.

Currently, more than two billion people speak the English language and more than 75 countries have recognised it as their official language.