Here's a fantastic story to start the week with. A group of 750 very fortunate kids from 120 different countries around the world will be participating in the International Turkish Language Olympics.  The students will gather together for song, dance and poetry competitions performed in the Turkish language. 

More than 10,000 kids from all over the world  prepared for this event, but only 750 were selected to compete. The Language Olympics kicked off on May 26, 2010 in the Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul. Students will move onto Ankara for the first round of eliminations, and finalists in the 12 main categories will be selected.  Each of the participants may have the opportunity to introduce their own country by participating in a cultural feast where they will perform traditional songs and dances and wear traditional costumes. 

Exhibitions from previous language Olympics will be on display in the cities where the students are competing as well. The Awards Ceremony will take place in Ankara on June 5th, followed by traditional Turkish songs and dances plus additional performances by the Olympic star students. This is a great way to encourage people to learn a new language.  The language Olympics in Turkey are an excellent example of what we can all do to promote language education for everyone.