Ranjan K Baruah
(With direct inputs from UN/WHO publication and feedback may be sent to bkranjan@gmail.com)
The intangible heritages which are in danger around the world are the mother languages. There are many reasons for which many of our languages and dialects are in danger. Globally 40 per cent of the population does not have access to an education in a language they speak or understand. But progress is being made in multilingual education with growing understanding of its importance, particularly in early schooling, and more commitment to its development in public life.
It is always suggested that a child should start learning in their own native languages. In spite of this we have seen the impact of powerful languages like English in our society. But it has been learned that multilingualism contributes to the development of inclusive societies that allow multiple cultures, worldviews and knowledge systems to coexist and cross-fertilize. Multilingual education based on mother-tongue facilitates access to and inclusion in learning for population groups that speak non-dominant languages, languages of minority groups and indigenous languages.
We know how languages change in India when we travel from one state to another and this is a truly rich heritage that any nation can have. There are different languages spoken in our country and similarly there are many other native languages around the world and the challenge for us is how do we protect or safeguard our linguistic diversity in the time of globalization. There is no doubt that languages with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development are of strategic importance for people and the planet.
Every two weeks a language disappears taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage. At least 43% of the estimated 6000 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. When languages fade, so does the world’s rich tapestry of cultural diversity. Opportunities, traditions, memory, unique modes of thinking and expression — valuable resources for ensuring a better future — are also lost.
We are aware that multilingual and multicultural societies exist through their languages, which transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures in a sustainable way. One of the global events being organized to address the importance of mother languages and any other indigenous languages is the International Mother Language Day (IMLD) which is observed every year to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism on 21st February.
The theme of the 2023 IMLD is “multilingual education – a necessity to transform education” aligns with recommendations made during the Transforming Education Summit, where an emphasis was also placed on Indigenous people’s education and languages. The IMLD was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 1999. The idea to celebrate the day was the initiative of Bangladesh. The UN General Assembly welcomed the proclamation of the day in its resolution of 2002.
On 16th May 2007 the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution A/RES/61/266 called upon Member States “to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world”. By the same resolution, the General Assembly proclaimed 2008 as the International Year of Languages, to promote unity in diversity and international understanding, through multilingualism and multiculturalism and named UNESCO to serve as the lead agency for the Year. UNESCO encourages and promotes multilingual education based on mother tongue or first language.
The International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032) aims to ensure indigenous peoples’ right to preserve, revitalize and promote their languages. It offers an opportunity to collaborate in the areas of policy development and stimulate a global dialogue and to take necessary measures for the usage, preservation, revitalization and promotion of indigenous languages around the world.
Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, in her message on the occasion of IMLD said that “while mother-tongue-based education is essential to the full development of individuals and to the transmission of linguistic heritage, 40% of the world’s students do not have access to education in the language they speak or understand best. Such a situation severely undermines learning, cultural expression and the building of social relations, and significantly weakens the linguistic heritage of humanity.”
The overall aim of the IMLD 2023 is to contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 by recognizing the role of actors in education and in related fields in promoting multilingualism and multilingual education, and in fostering quality, inclusive and equitable learning. We must be proud of our mother languages and any native languages and must safeguard these fragile resources. IMLD is an opportunity for us to talk, discuss and brainstorm what best can be done to safeguard our linguistic diversities. One may learn any number of languages but if s/he is not familiar with own mother tongue then that is one of the biggest tragedies. Let us ensure that all languages are protected and let us take pride in our own mother languages.