As every 26 September, the European Day of Languages has just been celebrated, a day promoted by the Council of Europe and the European Commission to promote language learning and linguistic and cultural diversity. A day that reminds us that learning a language is much more than learning vocabulary and grammar: it is acquiring tools to get by, interact and participate in society.
When arriving in a new country, the language can become one of the first barriers. Many Afghan women need to learn it practically from scratch while having to face everyday situations that require them to handle it fluently: from carrying out administrative tasks or looking for a job to taking their children to school, going to the doctor or understanding a document. For them, this learning is also part of a longer and more complex process: that of rebuilding their lives far from their country of origin.
Learning a language does not happen from one day to the next. It requires time, consistency and, above all, an environment that allows people to practise it without fear of making mistakes. Added to the difficulties inherent in learning are, in these cases, other factors such as cultural differences, personal and family circumstances, uncertainty or the circumstances that have accompanied each person until arriving in Spain.
For all these reasons, on this day we want to highlight the importance of the work we have been carrying out at Netwomening to offer the women in the Nwm network and their families the possibility of continuing to learn Spanish through face-to-face and online classes. Training that can help strengthen their autonomy, facilitate their integration and expand their opportunities for accessing the labour market.
Talking about language learning is also talking about opportunities. And, in the case of Afghan women, we cannot forget the context from which many of them come. The gender apartheid imposed by the Taliban has severely limited women’s and girls’ access to education and employment.
The European Day of Languages should also serve to remind us of this: a language can be much more than a communication tool. It can be a door towards independence, education, employment and participation in society.
Learning a language does not erase the history of the person who arrives; it allows them to start writing the next one.
Writer: María Cobo Albusac
