The first word that a new born baby utters is usually a word of his/her own mother tongue. With age, the child might learn many other languages and get adept with many foreign languages but the comfort of speaking in one’s own mother tongue is unmatched. Celebrating this affinity of an individual with his/her own mother tongue, the world is today observing International Mother Language Day.

India has always believed in diversity and plurality. It respects all languages. It won’t be wrong to call India, a mosaic of diverse languages and cultures. The mother tongue of a person is in a way the identity of a person. Thus, it is important to preserve every language so as to maintain the cultural heritage of every community. So, here are the major aspects of this day that you need to know:-

International Mother Language Day: Why is the day celebrated?

It was no less than a shock when UNESCO found out that one language disappears on average every two weeks, taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage. Yes, you heard it right. Thus, the UN agency introduced International Mother Language Day in 1999, a world-wide annual observance held on February 21 to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and promote multilingualism.

International Mother Language Day: Theme of the year

The theme of 2018’s introduced International Mother Language Day is Linguistic diversity and multilingualism count for sustainable development. The theme has been selected to promote and preserve the pluralism of the world and preserve the mother tongue of even a small tribe. Many a times, a person fails to achieve success just because the language which he speaks isn’t given an opportunity, thereby, this scenario needs to change.

International Mother Language Day: How to Celebrate

The UNESCO has shared recommendations on how to celebrate International Mother Language Day, especially in schools. The UN agency said that school teachers should encourage children to use their mother languages to introduce themselves and talk about their families and culture. Adults must also converse and share messages in their own mother tongue. Social media can play an important tool in creating awareness about every language.

The world is dominated by the powerful. The culture, the language of them prevail while cultures of small communities are crushed or they perish themselves. Thereby, we must acknowledge that the world is diverse and it is crucial to save its diversity. The International Mother Language Day is a day that can help one save and flourish his/her language, and culture which are also the two important aspects of one’s personality.

Read the original article on financialexpress.com.

More about: