International Mother Language Day

International Mother Language Day is a global observance aimed at promoting linguistic diversity and multilingual education. This notable day underscores the importance of maintaining and cherishing one’s mother language, the language typically learned from birth and historically significant to one's cultural identity. The observance also reiterates the universal right to use one’s mother language in educational, legislative, administrative and judicial systems, a right often infringed in multilingual societies.

Established by UNESCO in 1999, International Mother Language Day is grounded in the tragic events of February 21, 1952 in Bangladesh, where students were killed while advocating for the rights of their mother language, Bengali. For the UK, with its rich tapestry of languages and cultures, International Mother Language Day offers an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate this diversity. It also dovetails with the nation’s commitment to multiculturalism and its emphasis on fostering community cohesion, understanding, and respect for all languages and cultures.

In the UK, International Mother Language Day is commemorated through a variety of initiatives. These might include cultural events, language-based competitions, and debates in schools as well as in the wider community. The activities aim to promote the use and preservation of all languages spoken within the country, including less widely spoken and minority languages such as Welsh and Gaelic, highlighting their value to British heritage. International Mother Language Day itself is observed annually worldwide every 21st day of February.