International Mother Language Day

International Mother Language Day History

International Mother Language Day seeks to promote linguistic and cultural diversity as well as multilingualism. This day aims to support quality education, unity, diversity, and international understanding. Language is the most effective way that humans communicate. It serves as a powerful instrument in the preservation and development of cultures and ethnicities.

International Mother Language Day was established in 1999 by UNESCO. It is observed annually on February 21. It serves as a commemoration for the group of university students who were killed by the Pakistani Police in Bangladesh for using their mother language.

Top 10 Facts for International Mother Language Day in 2026

• The official UNESCO theme for the 2026 observance is Youth voices on multilingual education, which emphasizes the role of the next generation in revitalizing endangered dialects and shaping inclusive learning environments.
• This global event traces its origins back to the 1952 Language Movement in Bangladesh, where students and activists sacrificed their lives to establish Bengali as an official state language.
• The iconic song Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano remains a central cultural anthem for the day and is traditionally performed during early morning processions known as prabhat pheri.
• The Shaheed Minar monument in Dhaka stands as a national symbol of linguistic sacrifice and serves as the primary site for floral offerings during the anniversary.
• The influential film Jibon Theke Neya is a landmark political satire that used the 1952 language protests as a metaphor for the broader struggle against autocratic rule.
• Bangladesh hosts the month-long Ekushey Book Fair, which is one of the largest cultural festivals in the world dedicated to a single language and its literary heritage.
• The proposal for an international day to protect mother tongues was first initiated by Rafiqul Islam and Abdus Salam, two non-resident Bangladeshis living in Canada who wrote to the United Nations in 1998.
• UNESCO reports that approximately 40 percent of the world’s population currently lacks access to education in a language they speak or understand, presenting a major barrier to global literacy.
• The world is currently observing the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, a United Nations initiative spanning from 2022 to 2032 aimed at preserving the critical cultural heritage of native scripts.
• Linguistic experts note that a language disappears from the world roughly every two weeks, taking with it unique modes of thinking and centuries of oral history.

In the News and Trending in the US for International Mother Language Day

Top things to do in the US for this observance

• Gather with friends and family to assess your local education system. Does it provide adequate language instruction and second language instruction? Second language acquisition has been linked with critical thinking, creativity and flexibility of the mind.
• Generate awareness for International Mother Language Day by using the hashtags #InternationalMotherTongueDay, #IMLD, #motherlanguage or a hashtag followed by the language of your post (#english, #bengali, #xhosa).
• Read about language acquisition and its critical period. Language and The Mind is an educational read by world renowned scientist Noam Chomsky.
• Host a language party. Invite friends from all over the world and play games requiring each one of you to teach a few basic words in your language and the others to make use of them.
• Make a financial donation or volunteer at an organization that aims to preserve endangered languages in the world. These organizations work with communities whose languages are at risk of extinction and promote the use of the language in education and communal life. Some such organizations include, The Linguistic Society of America and The Endangered Languages Project.