A challenge for young language lovers: Juvenes Translatores contest

Juvenes Translatores, the EU’s annual translation contest for 17-year-olds, is open for registration from 1 September to 20 October 2018. The purpose of the contest is to help teachers encourage a love for languages among their students.

Since 2007, the translation department of the European Commission has been organising the Juvenes Translatores (Latin for ‘young translators’) contest every year. Any secondary school in the European Union is welcome to register online, but places are limited. Students born in 2001 can try their hand at translating a one-page text, using any of the 552 possible combinations of the EU’s 24 official languages.

This year, teenagers from across Europe will translate a text on the topic of cultural heritage. The theme has been chosen to coincide with the European Year of Cultural Heritage.

In April, the winners — one student from each Member State — will be invited to an awards ceremony in Brussels. The trip also includes a visit to the translation department, where the students will learn more about the work of professional translators.

“It made me realise that translation is what I wanted to do with my life,” said Thea, a previous winner of Juvenes Translatores.

This year, schools can register on the contest webpage between 1 September and 20 October. There, you will also find tips and instructions on how to prepare and practice texts for translation in all European languages. Don’t miss your chance to experience the challenges and pleasures of transforming one language into another!