Introduction about the festival

The Sheffield University International Languages Festival is the first of its kind to be happening in the UK. Over the course of one weekend 150 different languages and dialects from across the globe will be taught, including a wide selection of African languages, Chinese dialects, English dialects and special languages and codes such as Sign Language or Braille.



Marking the end of World Week, organised by the International Students Committee, the aim is to spark participants' interests for language and linguistics, whilst at the same time demonstrating the diverse culture and dialects present in Sheffield University. With keynote speakers John Wells, the renowned phonetician (Emeritus Professor at UCL), and Professor Paul White, Sheffield University’s Pro-Vice Chancellor, this is an event not to be missed! They will both be present at the Opening Ceremony on Friday 11th March, at 5:30 in the Richard Roberts Auditorium, with the Festival itself taking place 12th-13th March in the Hicks Building.



There will also be presentations from several prestigious national institutes. These include the Esperanto Association of Britain, who is dedicated to encouraging the study of the international language Esperanto, the Goethe Institute, who inspire the study of German, and the Confucius Institute who encourage Chinese language and culture. They will give talks on how their institutions are run, what they do, and possible career options. It will be a truly amazing event!



Tickets will be available for £2 per day at the box office, and tickets will also be available to book online at www.intlangfest.union.shef.ac.uk. Your ticket will allow you to attend as many classes as you want on the day, and with 15 lessons an hour on offer you can be sure there will be plenty to choose from!