International Mother language day celebrates the importance of maintaining linguistic diversity. It is celebrated yearly to promote multilingualism and the importance of maintaining linguistic diversity. The day also promotes language rights and calls for an end to any discrimination based on language.
What is a mother language?
A mother language is the language that a person speaks first in childhood, usually at home. It is also called a first language, mother or native tongue. A mother tongue is the language of the family and community and is what you learn when you are young.
Mother languages can be different all over the world. They are called mother language because the first language spoken by children tends to be the language spoken to them by a parent or carer. For example, you might be born in Canada and grow up there, but if both your parents are Vietnamese and only spoke Vietnamese to you growing up, Vietnamese is most likely your mother tongue.
What is international mother language day?
International Mother Language Day United Nations is an international observance held on 21 February each year by UNESCO. It was established in 1999 and first observed in 2000, by the General Conference of UNESCO, following recommendations made by ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites). The date was chosen to commemorate the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, who died on this day in 1941; he had written a poem called “Mukti” (“Liberation”) in Bengali which contains the sentence “Amar Sonar Bangla” (“My golden Bengal”). The Bangladeshis, then known as the East Pakistanis, were fighting for their independence and right to speak their mother tongue. International mother language was put in place as a tribute to the Language Movement pushed by the Bangladeshis.
Why is it celebrated?
It’s a day to celebrate the world’s many languages and to promote multilingualism and the importance of maintaining linguistic diversity. It also aims to preserve and protect all languages used by people of the world.
In addition, International Mother Language Day is meant to promote human rights for language communities around the globe. The United Nations Educational Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated 21 February as International Mother Language Day since 2000 because it was on this date in 1952 that Sukhdev Varma Rustamji led students from different regions across India into protesting against Hindi being made an official language at their university (the University Of Delhi).
Language diversity
Language diversity is a good thing. It’s a sign of cultural diversity and allows you to learn about other cultures. When you speak multiple languages, you can connect with people worldwide and share your experiences in their own language. This helps us understand each other better as humans!
Language diversity is vital to culture. Language carries a lot of meaning, traditions and history. Through languages, we can better understand one another and the history of humankind. Many cultures have been lost due to the dominance of one language over another. The more languages we can preserve, the better off we are as a species.
UN International Mother Language Day
At The Language Room, we are proud to honour and celebrate every language. If you cannot find the information in a specific language, feel free to contact us! We are always happy to help.