International Day of Mother Language – 21st February
The International Day of Mother Language serves to recognise and promote linguistic and cultural diversity on a global scale.
“I again realised that we were not different people with separate languages; we were one people, with different tongues.” — Nelson Mandela.
The International Day of Mother Language, observed annually on 21 February, promotes awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. This observance was established by the UNESCO General Conference in November 1999.
The theme for International Mother Language Day 2026, as announced by UNESCO and the United Nations, is “Youth voices on multilingual education.” This theme underscores the significant role of youth in shaping educational futures, fostering inclusion, and preserving linguistic diversity.
Key Aspects of the 2026 Theme
- Focus on Youth: The theme calls for youth leadership in initiatives that defend, promote, and revitalise languages.
- Multilingual Education: UNESCO maintains that instruction in one’s mother tongue enhances educational outcomes and builds learner confidence.
- Active Participation: UNESCO encourages students aged 13 to 18 to participate in international discussions on language and education.
This theme emphasises the fundamental role of language in shaping identity, education, and social inclusion. Globally, people communicate in 8,324 languages. Approximately 70 million deaf individuals use around 300 distinct sign languages. Currently, about 1,500 languages are at immediate risk of extinction, and projections suggest that half of today’s spoken languages may be seriously endangered or extinct by 2100.
For further information, refer to the United Nations Office at Geneva:
“f you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” – Nelson Mandela.
The World Federation of the Deaf articulates its vision as “A World Where Deaf People Everywhere Can Sign Anywhere.” Its mission is to work toward the full realisation of linguistic and human rights in all areas of life, ensuring their recognition and implementation at local, national, and international levels. Further details are available at: https://wfdeaf.org/action-plan-2023-2027/
“Sign language is the equal of speech, lending itself equally to the rigorous and the poetic, to philosophical analysis or to making love.” – Oliver Sacks
Deaf individuals worldwide have historically faced, and continue to face, discrimination regarding the use of their national sign languages. Currently, 82 countries have enacted sign language legislation, representing 42.1% of all countries. In contrast, 57.9% of countries (113 out of 195) do not officially recognise their national sign language. Additional information is available at: https://wfdeaf.org/the-legal-recognition-of-national-sign-languages/
470–399 B.C.: Socrates observed, as quoted by Plato in “Cratylus,” that “The deaf express themselves in gestures, movements, depicting that which is light or a higher sphere by raising the hands or describing a galloping horse by imitating its motion.”
Socrates, a Greek philosopher from Athens, is recognised as one of the founders of Western philosophy and as the first moral philosopher in the Western ethical tradition.
In 1880, the Second International Congress on the Education of the Deaf convened in Milan, Italy. This Congress is widely regarded as a symbol of social change that significantly affected the lives of deaf individuals worldwide. The event was attended by numerous educators, scientists, and professors, but only a Deaf representative, James Denison, and possibly two other Deaf representatives, as their names were not listed or recorded, leaving four notable delegates: Edward Miner Gallaudet, Reverend Thomas Gallaudet, Isaac Lewis Peet, and Charles A. Stoddard.
https://deafhistory.eu/index.php/component/zoo/category/milan-1880
The ban on sign language had a profound impact on many deaf individuals and those with additional disabilities worldwide. The Congress on the Education of the Deaf, along with educators, professors, and businesses, removed a primary means of communication for thousands of deaf people, thereby limiting their employment opportunities. However, some communities recognised the skills of deaf individuals in various forms of labour and their ability to communicate through written means or basic sign language gestures in daily life. Over the years, families of deaf children, as well as several deaf educators and supportive professors, have advocated for the continued use of sign language.
To pass on your language means.. Connection, identity, pride, understanding, community, togetherness, love, soul, opportunity, choice, double not half, options, grounding, giving, respect, recognition, family…a gift – From Rustam School (@SchoolRustam), a supplementary school for Persian language and culture, got every ounce out of Twitter character limitations, tweeting:
Currently, millions of deaf individuals and their advocates continue to seek official recognition of sign language as their mother language, emphasising manual communication over spoken language. Deaf educators and professionals should consider the local linguistic context before introducing sign language instruction in other countries. For instance, teaching American Sign Language (ASL) in African regions where Cushitic languages are spoken may not be appropriate. Cushitic languages, a major branch of the Afro-Asiatic family, are spoken by over 55 million people in the Horn of Africa, the Nile Valley, and Tanzania. This branch includes approximately 40 languages, with Oromo, Somali, Sidamo, and Afar being the most widely spoken. There is no Cushitic sign language; only Ethiopian Sign Language is officially recognised within Ethiopia, and it is documented separately from the Cushitic branch. Recently, Somali Sign Language (SSL) has become the primary language for deaf children in Somalia and Djibouti, particularly in specialised schools that promote education and inclusion. SSL originated from Kenyan Sign Language but has developed into a culturally relevant, Somali-specific system. It is crucial not to replace a community’s mother language with ASL or any other foreign sign language when educating deaf children.
“Sign language is the noblest gift God has given to deaf people.” – George Veditz
Millions of Deaf individuals and Deaf individuals with disabilities worldwide have the right to maintain sign language as their first language, and this right is recognised within their communities as equal to spoken language.
“As long as we have deaf people on earth, we will have signs. And as long as we have our films, we can preserve signs in their old purity. It is my hope that we will all love and guard our beautiful sign language as the noblest gift God has given to deaf people.”
