International Mother Language Day
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Between 1947 and 1955, citizens of modern-day Bangladesh, known then as East Pakistan, fought for the social and administrative recognition of Bengali as an official language. This sociopolitical movement, known as the Bengali Language Movement, led to the establishment of the national holiday called Language Movement Day in Bangladesh. This moment in history serves as the original inspiration behind International Mother Language Day.
Shahid Minar monument commemorating those who perished during the Bengali Language Movement protests on February 21, 1952. Photo courtesy of Mostaque Ahammed - Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 on Wikipedia.com.
First declared by the United Nations in 1999, with official observation starting on February 21, 2000, International Mother Language Day (IMLD) has been an unofficial holiday honoured across the globe to encourage language learning and education. This education is particularly focused on one’s native and/or heritage language(s). The mission of this holiday is to spread linguistic awareness, eliminate language discrimination such as xenoglossophobia and xenophobia, and preserve languages that are on the verge of extinction. Every year, a new theme related to these topics is introduced, which acts as the driving force and source of inspiration for IMLD events held around the world.
As a mosaic society, Canada encourages the diversification of language, hosting and participating in many domestic and international programs like Explore, Katimavik, and Erasmus+. As such, International Mother Language Day has officially been a social staple in academic and administrative culture in the country since 2014, as made evident by private and public curricular events held by schools, community centres, government bodies, and the like. Distinct from other nations, Canada observes this day by specifically concentrating on didactic activities related to French, Indigenous languages such as Cree and Michif, and the tongues spoken by the country’s most populous immigrant groups.
Moment of IMLD commemoration at the Bangladesh Heritage and Ethnic Society of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. Photo courtesy of Andy Strohkirch, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikipedia.com.
Some common activities that Canadians might participate in in honour of IMLD include:
exploring minority languages represented in Canada, or the world
researching different cultural histories, including those of Bangladesh
learning a language by taking classes at a community centre, college/university, or by means of independent study
volunteering at a cultural centre
participating in polyglot events, language tables and/or language exchanges
attending conferences and public speaking events related to language evolution, language learning and pedagogy, linguistic identity, and other similar topics
attending language endangerment and revitalization workshops
going to film festivals featuring movies in other languages
listening to music in other languages
IMLD is but one example of the many social holidays observed in Canada that are dedicated to the celebration of other cultures (see Black History Month, International Francophonie Day, Canadian Multiculturalism Day, National Indigenous History Month, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, National Day For Truth And Reconciliation, etc.).
Is such a holiday widely celebrated where you live? Have you ever participated in any International Mother Language Day activities? Let me know in the comments below.
