Every year, International Mother Language Day is celebrated on February 21. The day recognizes the importance of languages and multilingualism which can advance inclusion, and the Sustainable Development Goals’ focus on leaving no one behind.
History of the Day
The initiative was started by Bangladesh to set up the International Mother Language Day, it was approved at the 1999 UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) General Conference and has been celebrated ever since annually. However, in 2000, the first International Mother Language Day was observed across the world.
Significance of the Day
The day holds significance about how an intergovernmental body like UNESCO believes in the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity for sustainable societies. As per UNESCO, it is a mandate for peace to preserve the differences in cultures and languages to foster tolerance and respect for diversity.
Linguistic diversity is significantly coming under threat as more and more languages are disappearing with the last generation of native speakers. A growing understanding of its importance, particularly in early schooling, and more commitment to its development in public life, progress is being made in mother tongue-based multilingual education.
Theme of the Day
As per the UN, the theme of the 2022 International Mother Language Day is ‘Using technology for multilingual learning: Challenges and opportunities’. In the statement, the UN mentioned that this year’s theme is to raise the potential role of technology to advance multilingual education and support the development of quality teaching and learning for all.