What are the 6 official UN languages? Here are 2 activities to help you learn about them
- Make a peace poster in different languages and discover the countries and cultures behind them
Did you know that the United Nations (UN) has six official languages? These languages are English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese.
The UN uses these languages for important documents and meetings so that many people can understand them.
The UN believes that language helps people communicate and understand each other better. Then, they can work together to solve problems and make the world a better place.
Learning a new language can also be fun! It can help you communicate with people from all over the world and learn about different cultures. If you love learning new languages, you could even become a translator for the UN one day.
Peace poster
Materials
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paper
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markers
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old magazines or newspapers (optional)
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scissors and glue (optional)
Instructions
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Brainstorm ideas for your poster by reflecting on what peace means to you.
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Draw an image on your poster to represent peace. You can cut out pictures from magazines or newspapers and glue them to your poster.
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Use the internet to translate the words for “peace” in each of the six official UN languages. Add them to your poster.
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Hang the poster at home or school to share your message of peace with others.
Country food challenge
Complete the table by writing down a country that speaks each language and a type of food commonly found there. Decide on the dish you’d like to try and use the internet to learn more about its ingredients and how it is prepared. Will you give it a try?
Sample answers
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English, United Kingdom, fish and chips
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French, France, ratatouille
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Spanish, Spain, churros
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Russian, Russia, medovik
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Arabic, Saudi Arabia, kabsa
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Chinese, China, dumplings