More than 1,800 contestants gathered to take part in the Great National Dictation held to celebrate the Romanian Language Day. The event takes place in Chisinau, in the Great National Assembly Square, and also in 15 district seats.

The contestants will have to reproduce an excerpt from Spiridon Vangheli’s School of Life.

All participants in the dictation received notebooks with lined sheets on which they will write. According to the rules, the text is first read out loud in its entirety for familiarization, followed by the actual dictation, in logical units, in an expressive and clear manner, at a slow pace, with emphasis on the pauses of the dialogue. At the end, the text is reread in its entirety, for revision and correction of mistakes.

In her welcome speech, President Maia Sandu declared: “In the Romanian language the word has a double heritage, because it comes as a precious legacy left by the ancestors, but also as an almost sacred responsibility that is carried forward to the descendants […] With gratitude to those who kept the Romanian language alive in these lands in the most terrible times, when for reciting a poem in Romanian you could be arrested, today we celebrate the freedom and joy of living in our language”.

The president appreciated the effort of non-native speakers who learned to speak Romanian. “Their effort is not only a sign of respect for the Romanian language, but also a real contribution to the cohesion and unity of our society.” Sandu added that this year, 12,000 people chose to learn Romanian at the free courses offered by the Ministry of Education and Research.

Minister Dan Perciun declared that, for more than three decades, the Romanian language has had its own day, being elevated to the rank of a national holiday. “This day unites all of us who feel and speak Romanian. Many outstanding personalities fought for our language, one of whom is Spiridon Vangheli, writer and poet, Guguță’s father. In today’s dictation, Spiridon Vangheli will give us a lesson from his volume School of Life, a work that reflects the depth of the author’s thought and experience”, said the minister.

According to Dan Perciun, this text was chosen to pay tribute to the late writer. His work has been translated into many languages, being recognized and appreciated internationally. “Through his work, Spiridon Vagheli contributed significantly to the preservation and promotion of Romanian cultural values”, added Perciun.

This is the second edition of the Great National Dictation. The event is organized under the auspices of the President’s Office and aims to celebrate the Romanian language and promote correct speech and spelling among the population.