I have offered this idea to Myngle to do something like this in all countries, to make students from all countries moce to a country where they would like to be, for example, Chinese students who would like to learn English, by singing songs, reading poems, how great this would be, imagine, all the world coming together because of the Language Olympics,

THE SPREADER OF LOVE…sponsored by Myngle!!!!!!!!!!!

I think to be honest, this was what all the great leaders in History and NOW are trying to do, getting people to know each other.

And now with a medium like internet, we all can do this.

Please support this idea, this is a favor I would like to ask everybody who reads this article.

Step by step, paso a paso, adim adim, stap bij stap, We can do this…so please let this dream come true!!!

Alper

Thanks for posting the article. What a great read!
The language olympics is a great way to communicate with other cultures and learn languages. Apart from the Turkish language olympics thereare also Russian and Arabic!
Here is a nice vid a found of past Turkish language olympics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apSWMVIFTGg

You can see the passion and enthousiasm in everyone! It’s just a great celebration of culture and shows how languages bring everyone together.

Thank you for letting me know.
Definitely a topic that needs more investigation : )

Panos

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to help me out and for all your comments!
I did some thinking over and I think I agree with Kirsten and Klara and I’ll go for the local language first-Dutch!

Klara, thanks for sharing your experience. I’m sure many can understand and relate to all the strugles and difficulties when moving to a new country. And I also start to feel how vital it is to speak the local language. It is not necessary for me to get by but it makes a huge difference when it comes to being a fully functional and active member of the society.

Marina, you are right! I read about that as well. It’s no secret that learning foreign languages has positive effect on our brain. I actually plan to write a post about it. Some of the findings are fascinating so stay tuned : ) Good luck with learning Gaelic. It is such a beautiful language. And it was also a main influence on the creation of Quenya

As a personal note, thank you for all your kind words. They mean a lot!

Panos

Competition at the 7th Turkish Olympiads has started in Kızılcahamam district of Ankara with colorful performances by participants. State Minister Egemen Bağış has also participated in the event. Seven hundred students from 115 countries were at the opening ceremony in Ankara along with organizers and other guests on Thursday. Speaking at the ceremony, Bağış congratulated Turkish volunteers who had opened schools in a number of countries since they established a brotherhood among nations.

Organized by the International Turkish Education Association (TÜRKÇEDER), this year’s Turkish Olympics will host 700 students from 115 countries including Afghanistan, Argentina, Venezuela, Benin, Ethiopia, Congo, France, Italy, Uganda, the Maldives and Sri Lanka. A cultural festival will be held on May 30-31 at Altınpark in Ankara, where the students will promote their countries.

This year’s International Turkish Olympiads, in which students will compete in 13 categories ranging from poetry to songs, will be held in Ankara, İstanbul and Bursa. Turkish Parliament Speaker Köksal Toptan will award students who receive gold medals with a Turkish Language Service Award.

Turkish Olympiads team visits Toptan in Ankara
After the official program concludes, the activities will continue in various provinces in Anatolia. Last year mini Olympiads were held in five provinces. This year the number has increased to nine. İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Bursa, Antalya, Erzurum, Kayseri, Gaziantep and Kahramanmaraş will host students from different countries.

A group from the 700 students who will perform in the Turkish language visited Parliament Speaker Köksal Toptan in Ankara on Thursday.

Accompanied by Professor Mehmet Sağlam and the board of executives of the committee, students gave examples of the shows they will perform at the Olympiads. Impressed by the songs they sang and poems they read, Toptan talked with the students in Turkish. Wishing the students good luck, Toptan told students to take his kind regards to their countries. Recalling a Turkish school named after him in Kyrgyzstan, Toptan asked Kyrgyz participant Azamat Tankeev, “Do you know there is a school named after me in your country?” The student answered no. Stating that Iraqi and Georgian students speak Turkish quite well, Toptan asked these students how long they had been learning Turkish. The students said although they did not speak Turkish before, they learned Turkish at schools opened in their countries. Students dressed in their local clothing presented gifts to Toptan.

Parliamentary Culture and Arts Committee head Erbay Kücet also drew attention to Olympiads’ stress on the Turkish language being the “Language of Love.” He said it is very important that children from around the world come together to spread love throughout the whole world.

29 May 2009, Friday

TODAY’S ZAMAN İSTANBUL

At present, I don’t insist them to speak English (they find it too difficult) but I joined them in their language.

Hello Mr.Panos,

You seem new in Myngle. I read all your pieces and I like them. Kirsten is right. You are doing great. Congratulations. Carry on!

Klara

And I wanted to add that you are really doing a great job at Myngle. Keep it up!