(The theme of the 2022 International Mother Language Day is “Using technology for multilingual learning: Challenges and opportunities)
To promote linguistic, multilinguistic and cultural diversity across the globe, International Mother Language Day is observed every year on February 21. The day acknowledges that languages and multilingualism are the two powerful tools that can promote social inclusion and uniform development worldwide.
This day is also celebrated to make people aware of how cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue can strengthen co-operation and provide a quality education for all. The novel initiative to celebrate International Mother Language Day was taken by Bangladesh.
There are somewhere between 6,000 and 7,000 living languages in the world today (the exact number is a matter of debate). According to the Endangered Languages Project, over 40% of the world’s languages are threatened with extinction.
UNESCO announced this day on November 17, 1999, which was later formally recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in 2002. On May 16, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution A/RES/61/266 called upon the Member States “to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world”.
The theme of the 2022 International Mother Language Day is “Using technology for multilingual learning: Challenges and opportunities”, which focuses on how technology can be a potential factor for fostering multilingual education and would support the development of quality teaching and learning for all.
Here are 10 interesting facts about languages in India that you should know:
1. India’s treasure trove: India has 234 identifiable mother tongues, 121 languages and around 22 official languages! Sindhi, Konkani, Nepali, Manipuri, Maithili, Dogri, Bodo and Santhali are the languages which were added to the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution after amendments in the Constitution. Earlier, there were 14 languages which were initially included in the Constitution.