EU contest for young translators: schools can now enrol

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

Secondary schools in all EU countries can now enrol for Juvenes Translatores, the European Commission’s annual translation contest. From 12:00 CET on 2 September, schools can register online for their students to compete with peers around the EU. This year, contestants will translate texts on the topic ‘European youth.’

Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Budget and Administration, said: “With this contest we want to inspire young people about a career in translation and promote language learning. 2022 is the European Year of Youth, and the contest will bring together young people from different countries, encourage them to pursue their love for languages and help them overcome barriers between people and cultures. Giving people the ability to communicate with and understand one another, regardless of differences, is essential for the EU to flourish.”

Participants can translate between any two of the EU’s 24 official languages (552 possible language combinations).

Entering the contest is a two-stage process. In the first stage, schools need to register by 12:00 CET on 20 October 2022. Teachers can complete the registration form in any of the EU’s 24 official languages.

The Commission will then invite 705 schools — randomly selected by computer — to the next stage. The number of schools taking part in each country will be equal to the number of seats the country has in the European Parliament.

The chosen schools then nominate up to five students to participate in the contest. They can be of any nationality, but all participants must have been born in 2005.

The contest will be run online on 24 November 2022 in all participating schools.

The winners — one per country — will be announced by early February 2023. They will be invited to receive their prizes in spring 2023 at a ceremony in Brussels. They will have the chance to meet professional translators from the European Commission and find out more about the profession and about working with languages.

Background

The Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation has organised Juvenes Translatores (Latin for ‘young translators’) every year since 2007. It promotes language learning in schools and gives young people a taste of what it is like to be a translator. It is open to 17-year-old secondary school students and takes place simultaneously in all selected schools across the EU.

The contest has inspired some participants to study languages at university and go on to become professional translators. In addition, it provides an opportunity to showcase the EU’s rich linguistic diversity.