International Mother Language Day February 21
The National UN Volunteers-India
International Mother Language Day
21st February 2025
2025 THEME: Silver Jubilee Celebration of International Mother Language Day
Languages are essential to education and sustainable development, serving as the primary means through which knowledge is transferred and cultures are preserved. With approximately 8,324 languages in the world today, many are at risk of disappearing due to globalization and societal changes. Ensuring that education systems support the right to learn in one's mother tongue is crucial for improving learning outcomes, as students who are taught in a language they fully understand show better comprehension, engagement, and critical thinking skills. Multilingual education, particularly for minority and indigenous languages, not only helps learners but also fosters a deeper connection between education and culture, contributing to more inclusive and equitable societies.
The 25th anniversary of International Mother Language Day celebrates a quarter-century of efforts to preserve linguistic diversity and promote mother tongues. This milestone emphasizes the importance of language preservation in safeguarding cultural heritage, improving education, and fostering more peaceful societies.
International Mother Language Day, first proclaimed by UNESCO and later adopted by the UN General Assembly, underscores the role of languages in promoting inclusion and achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Multilingual education not only promotes inclusive societies but also aids in preserving non-dominant, minority, and indigenous languages. It is a cornerstone for achieving equitable access to education and lifelong learning opportunities for all individuals.
SAFEGUARDING LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY
Languages, with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development, are of strategic importance for people and planet. Yet, due to globalization processes, they are increasingly under threat, or disappearing altogether. When languages fade, so does the world's rich tapestry of cultural diversity. Opportunities, traditions, memory, unique modes of thinking and expression — valuable resources for ensuring a better future — are also lost.
Every two weeks a language disappears taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage. UNESCO estimates that there are 8,324 languages, spoken or signed. Out of these, around 7,000 languages are still in use. Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world.
Multilingual and multicultural societies exist through their languages, which transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures in a sustainable way.
International Mother Language Day is observed every year to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
IDEAS FOR CELEBRATION
Celebrating International Mother Language Day in schools can be a vibrant and engaging way to promote linguistic and cultural diversity. Here are some creative and impactful ideas:
1.Cultural Fair
Language Booths: Set up booths representing different languages spoken by the students. Each booth can showcase traditional attire, music, and cuisine.
Language Lessons: Students can take mini-lessons in different languages, learning basic greetings and phrases.
2.Storytelling Sessions
Local Legends: Invite community members to share folk tales and legends in their mother tongues.
Student Stories: Encourage students to narrate stories or experiences in their native languages.
3.Language Workshops
Poetry and Prose: Organize workshops where students write and share poems or short stories in their mother languages.
Calligraphy:Teach students the art of writing in different scripts, highlighting the beauty of various languages.
4.Cultural Performances
Music and Dance: Host performances featuring traditional songs, dances, and musical instruments from different cultures.
Drama: Students can perform short plays or skits in their native languages, with translations provided.
5.Art and Craft Exhibition
Language Art: Create artworks that incorporate words and phrases from different languages.
Cultural Crafts: Display traditional crafts and artifacts from various cultures.
6.Language Quizzes and Competitions
Spelling Bees: Organize spelling competitions in different languages.
Language Quiz: Conduct quizzes that test students' knowledge of different languages and cultures.
7.Multilingual Assembly
PpGuest Speakers:Invite speakers who are fluent in multiple languages to talk about the importance of language diversity.
Student Presentations: Allow students to give presentations in their mother tongues, with subtitles or translations.
8.Reading Corner
Multilingual Library: Set up a reading corner with books in various languages.
Read-Aloud Sessions: Organize read-aloud sessions where teachers or older students read books in different languages.
9.Language Pledge
Daily Pledge: Encourage students to take a pledge to learn a few new words in a different language every day.
Language Buddies: Pair students as language buddies to practice speaking and learning each other's languages.
10.Interactive Displays
Language Wall:Create a wall display where students can write phrases in their mother tongues.
World Map: Pin flags and language phrases on a world map to show the diversity of languages spoken in the school.
These activities can create a festive and educational atmosphere, fostering respect and appreciation for linguistic diversity among students.
(NOTE: Follow the usual proceedings, that's, share your event photos, short video clips at 9944313953 for Global Circulation)
