23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
UN English Language Day 2025: Know date, history, significance, and more
Today, on Wednesday, the globe is celebrating World English Day, also known as UN English Language Day. The English language has emerged as a globally recognised language, with the day being observed on April 23 annually.
April 23 was particularly chosen as UN English Language Day, as it is associated with the life of Shakespeare, marking his birth and death anniversary and representing his contributions to the language and making modern English what it is today.
English is one of the most popular spoken languages worldwide and serves as the common medium of communication in global affairs, diplomatic relations, education, business, science, and more.
This day honours the English language, with it being more than just a celebration of grammar and vocabulary but also of literature, creativity and the history of English.
The UN Department of Global Communications developed UN Language Days in 2010 to celebrate linguistic diversity and encourage equal use of all official languages within the organisation.
Notably, each year, World English Language Day features a different topic that emphasises the language's effect on international culture, education, and communication. However, this year, the theme has not been announced yet.
Furthermore, English Language Day is also coinciding with UNESCO's global observance of World Book and Copyright Day, which encourages people all across the world, particularly children, to develop a habit of reading books, especially in modern times while observing the death anniversaries of literary greats William Shakespeare, Miguel Cervantes, and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.
