February 21 is International Mother Language Day

Today was news story day in journalism class. I chose to investigate International Mother Language Day. Read ahead and check out how some individuals feel about this day and what it stands for.


International Mother Language Day Celebrates Multilingualism

Mark your calendars; February 21 is International Mother Language Day promoting linguistic cultural diversity and multilingualism. This day was first recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on November 17, 1999.

The day has been observed since February 2000 to remember the student demonstrators that perished in 1952. Students were shot and killed by police in Dhaka, Bangladesh because they were protesting to have Bengali recognized as one of the two national languages of the then Pakistan.

The United Nations’ website, http://www.un.org/en provides an excellent summary of the day’s significance.

Red River College students also believe their mother language is worth protecting.

Gagandeep Singh Gill, 21, speaks three languages, Punjabi, Hindi and English but Punjabi is his mother language. “Language is a big part of culture,” said Gill. “Now that I know about this important day, I will try to teach other people how to communicate in my language for the entire day on that day,” he said.

Gill also said that this day is important for immigrants whose language may not be a popular one in Canada. “Punjabi is very popular in Vancouver. For me, it isn’t so bad because of this but I can see how this day could be very important for someone whose language isn’t spoken as much,” he said.

Samuel Shaganya, 35, is also a Red River College student and comes from Congo. He speaks Swahili and agrees that acknowledging International Mother Language Day is important and it shows respect.

“This day makes sense to me, many immigrants come here and English overtakes their own language. A day like this can help immigrants remember their own language,” he said.

Shaganya also said, “I speak to my wife and children in Swahili and hope my children won’t forget their language as they get older. Days like this make sure this won’t happen.”

Dr. Terry Janzen, Associate Professor and Department Head of the Department of Linguistics for the University of Manitoba said acknowledging International Mother Language day is vital to raise awareness for people’s heritage and the language of their home.

Dr. Janzen also said, “There are quite a number of Aboriginal languages spoken in Canada, many of which are in serious danger of being lost. It is important that people not lose sight of their heritage in favour of a culture and language that is new for them.”