Every year, on February 21st, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) champions International Mother Language Day. The day is dedicated to promoting multilingual education based on one’s native tongue. In 2021, the theme was “Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society”. This theme underscores the role of languages and multilingualism in fostering inclusion. Because with over 7,000 languages worldwide and India boasting 22 officially recognized languages, it is a critical focus area for humanity’s Sustainable Development Goals, specifically in promoting no one gets left behind.
The Origin and Purpose of International Mother Language Day
International Mother Language Day was inaugurated by UNESCO in 1999 and has been celebrated globally since 2000—primarily to honor Bangladesh’s struggle to safeguard the Bangla language. Rafiqul Islam, a Bangladeshi living in Canada, proposed this date to commemorate the 1952 Dhaka killings during the Bangla Language Movement. The overarching objective is to preserve and promote mother languages to protect the diverse culture and intellectual heritage of different regions of the world.
Threats to Mother Languages: Global Data
According to the United Nations, a language disappears every two weeks, causing the world to lose an entire cultural and intellectual heritage. The rapid globalization and rush to learn foreign languages for improved job prospects have largely contributed to this disappearance. Of the approximately 6,000 languages spoken worldwide, at least 43% are endangered. Few languages have genuinely found a place in education systems and access to education in a language they speak or understand remains a challenge for 40% of the global population. Additionally, less than a hundred languages are used in the digital world.
Global Efforts to Protect Languages
To counter this trend, the UN will observe the International Decade of Indigenous Languages from 2022 to 2032. Prior to this, it had proclaimed 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages. Furthermore, the Yuelu Proclamation, made by UNESCO in China in 2018, has guided global efforts to protect linguistic resources and diversity.
India’s Measures to Promote Mother Tongues
India’s National Education Policy 2020 has put a considerable emphasis on developing mother tongues. As far as possible, it recommends using the mother tongue as the medium of instruction at least until class 5. The Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT) is providing publication grants towards publishing university-level books in regional languages. Also, under the “Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages” scheme, measures are being taken to conserve threatened languages.
Educational Initiatives and Legal Provisions Supporting Mother Tongues in India
Google’s Project Navlekha uses technology to preserve mother languages by creating more online content in Indian local languages. Several legal provisions exist to safeguard the interests of linguistic minorities. For example, Article 29 of the Constitution gives all citizens the right to conserve their language, while Article 120 provides for the use of Hindi or English in Parliament but allows members to express themselves in their mother tongue. Articles 343 to 351 deal with official languages, while Article 350A promotes instruction in the mother tongue at the primary education level for linguistic minority groups. The Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 recommends that, as far as practicable, a child’s mother tongue should be the medium of instruction.
The Future of Language Protection
There are still many challenges to tackle in promoting multilingualism for inclusion in education and society. However, global recognition and efforts towards this goal, as shown by International Mother Language Day, are promising steps in the right direction. The preservation and promotion of mother languages are vital not just for cultural heritage but also for fostering inclusive societies worldwide—where no one is left behind.
Last Modified: February 10, 2024