What Language Did You Learn at Home? International Mother Language Day Celebrates It
Celebrate languages from around the globe, as part of UNESCO’s annual focus on linguistic diversity.
FSC’s event will focus on the history and significance of mother languages (defined as the language or languages one learns at home), and feature presentations from various ethnic cultures. Organized by Dr. Nazrul Islam and Dr. Chiara De Santi, the presentation will focus on the day’s history and significance, and stress the importance of cross-cultural communication at home and abroad.
Presentations about the uniqueness of certain languages and cultures in countries such as Bangladesh, France, India, Iran, Italy, Puerto Rico, and Turkey will be followed by student performances.
The history of International Mother Language Day will be reviewed by Dr. Islam, a native of Bangladesh, while Dr. De Santi, from Italy, will stress the importance of understanding what Lingua Franca and global language are historically, and how they impact our understanding of the world.
Said Dr. Islam: “The goal of celebrating International Mother Language Day is to promote linguistic diversity among members of our campus community, and respect each cultural heritage.” Dr. De Santi added: “This event is an important way to remind us that, on this globe, we all come from different languages and cultures that are all important and distinctive. Understanding our diversity and seeing it as a treasure and not as a limit would contribute to making our home and our world a better place.”
International Mother Language Day is the result of the struggle between Bengali-speaking Pakistanis and the Pakistani government, which in 1948 had declared Urdu as the country’s sole national language. On February 21, 1952, students at the University of Dhaka and other activists organized a protest. Police fired at the demonstrators, killing four students. Those deaths are commemorated on International Mother Language Day.
For more information, contact Dr. Islam; 631-794-6216.
Help spread the word. Print and post this flyer.
Dr. Chiara De Santi
Dr. Nazrul Islam
Published on February 11, 2019
