INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY – INTERNATIONAL
News:
International Mother
Language Day 2024: Date, history, significance and theme
What's
in the news?
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On International Mother Language Day, the
Kalanidhi Division and Academic Unit of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the
Arts (IGNCA) presents Akshar, Shabd and Bhasha, an exhibition celebrating and
honouring the linguistic diversity of India, and exploring the richness of
languages, scripts and words that define our cultural heritage.
International
Mother Language Day:
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It is observed globally every year on February 21 to recognise and promote
linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
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According to the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization International Mother Language
Day was recognised on the initiative of
Bangladesh and has been observed throughout the world since the year 2000.
Theme
for 2024 - "Multilingual education is a pillar of
intergenerational learning".
Significance:
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According to UNESCO, globally 40 per cent of the population does not have access
to an education in the language they speak or understand.
●
The commitment towards understanding the
importance of the mother language or mother tongue, UNESCO decided to observe
the day.
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It underscores the role of languages in
promoting inclusion and achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
Issues:
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Every two weeks a language disappears
taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage.
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At
least 45% of the estimated 7000 languages spoken in the world are endangered.
●
Only a few hundred languages have
genuinely been given a place in education systems and the public domain, and
less than a hundred are used in the digital world.
Further
Reference - UNESCO