- World
- Feb 21
International Mother Language Day
• The United Nations observes International Mother Language Day on February 21.
• It is observed every year to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
• The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was the initiative of Bangladesh. It was approved at the 1999 UNESCO General Conference and has been observed throughout the world since 2000.
Languages play a vital role in:
• Development.
• Ensuring cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue.
• Strengthening co-operation.
• Attaining quality education for all.
• Building inclusive knowledge societies.
• Preserving cultural heritage.
• Mobilising political will for applying the benefits of science and technology to sustainable development.
• This year’s theme is ‘Youth voices on multilingual education’.
Importance of multilingual education
• The linguistic landscape has undergone profound change in recent years, shaped by increased migration, rapid technological development, and growing recognition of the cognitive, social, and economic benefits of multilingualism.
• Today, multilingualism is increasingly understood not only as a social reality but as a fundamental human characteristic and a powerful educational approach.
• Young people play a vital role in this evolution by defending and revitalising languages, creating digital content, and using technology to make linguistic diversity more visible and valued.
• These efforts reinforce the deep connection between language, identity, learning, well-being, and participation in society, while highlighting the need for education systems that recognise and support learners’ languages.
• At the same time, significant challenges remain, as 40 per cent of learners worldwide still lack access to education in a language they understand best, with indigenous, migrant, and minority youth most affected.
• Addressing this gap requires education policies and practices that embed multilingual education at their core to promote inclusion, equity, and effective learning for all.
• By advancing concrete actions, sharing promising experiences, and fostering dialogue among young people, educators, and policymakers, global initiatives create spaces to exchange ideas and identify solutions that strengthen linguistic diversity in schools and communities worldwide.
• 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.
Linguistic diversity under threat
• Languages are essential to education and sustainable development, serving as the primary means through which knowledge is transferred and cultures are preserved.
• Multilingual and multicultural societies exist through their languages which transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures in a sustainable way.
• UNESCO estimates that there are 8,324 languages, spoken or signed. Out of these, around 7,000 languages are still in use. However, linguistic diversity is under threat, with many languages disappearing at an accelerated pace in our rapidly changing world.
• Linguistic diversity is increasingly threatened as more and more languages disappear due to globalisation and societal changes.
• 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.
• 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.