Talking about Languages:
International Mother Language Day (February 21st)
On this page:
Part 1: History of International Mother Language Day
Part 2: Suggested Activities
Part 3: Additional Resources
Part 1: History of International Mother Language Day
Part 2: Suggested Activities
Part 3: Additional Resources
Part 1: History of International Mother Language Day
According to the UN:
"International Mother Language Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. The date represents the day in 1952 when students demonstrating for recognition of their language, Bangla, as one of the two national languages of the then Pakistan, were shot and killed by police in Dhaka, the capital of what is now Bangladesh. Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue."
Read more here.
Here is a video with a very detailed history of the creation of the International Mother Language Day.
"International Mother Language Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. The date represents the day in 1952 when students demonstrating for recognition of their language, Bangla, as one of the two national languages of the then Pakistan, were shot and killed by police in Dhaka, the capital of what is now Bangladesh. Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue."
Read more here.
Here is a video with a very detailed history of the creation of the International Mother Language Day.
Part 2: Suggested Activities
Here are some activities for celebrating International Mother Language Day.
The Inter-Community School of Zurich has some interesting ideas to highlight mother tongues in their school:
The Pro Group suggests:
The Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center suggests:
Ehow proposes:
These are of course only some possibilities.
The Inter-Community School of Zurich has some interesting ideas to highlight mother tongues in their school:
- The school library stocks books in various mother tongue languages.
- On a selected day during their Mother Tongue Language celebrations, students and staff will participate in a D.E.A.R, drop everything and read activity using books in the students' mother tongue.
- For 1 unit in their Science class, students used their mother tongue languages to develop a story about how alkali batteries work.
The Pro Group suggests:
- A Multi-cultural Film Festival
- Play music of different languages.
- Learn some songs in different languages.
- Organize an international penpal partnership. Have specific questions that students must discover in their conversations.
- Have students explore different alphabets by discovering how their name is written in different languages.
- Diversity Reading List: Have students present readings from classic writers of their mother tongue.
- Language Internet Scavenger Hunt. Have students explore the linguistic diversity of their borough/city/province/country.
- Proverbs from around the World: Learn about and display proverbs from around the world.
The Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center suggests:
- Have students wear a badge with their names written in their native scripts for a day.
- Display a word (ex: peace, communication, friendship) in many different languages.
- Explore and record the different languages spoken by members of the community (students, staff, family members) and post it on the school website/in the common space.
- Invite family members to share favorite songs, chants and rhymes with the school.
- Organize a Linguistic Diversity celebration.
Ehow proposes:
- Students organize workshops with some kind of immersion activity. This could be how to play an instrument, cook a dish or a conversational activity.
These are of course only some possibilities.
Part 3: Additional Resources
- Bangladesh PressClub Centre of Alberta. International Mother Language Day Canada.
- Canadian Language Museum. February 21: Museum Celebrates.
- Centre for Child Well-Being. Celebrating Mother Language Day
- Gledhill, S. Celebrate International Mother Language Day in your Community.