What’s Your Mother Language?
By Danielle Ziegler
February has many well-known holidays from Groundhog Day to Valentine’s Day to Presidents’ Day. However, I would like to share with you a little-known day that I just learned about: International Mother Language Day. Celebrated on February 21st, International Mother Language Day celebrates languages and cultural diversity.
According to the United Nations, International Mother Language Day started in 1999, after Bangladesh put it forth as an initiative. For more than 25 years, people have been using it as a reminder that your mother language, or first language, is important in many ways. The United Nations’ website states that “Multilingual and multicultural societies exist through their languages, which transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures in a sustainable way.”
What does that mean? It means that people pass down stories, beliefs, and interests in their languages. You may have heard that Inuit/Yup’ik has multiple words for snow, showing that weather and even the type of snow that is outside may make a big difference to an Inuit/Yup’ik speaker. Several different languages, from English to French, have many different terms for money. Take that as you may.
According to UNESCO, children who are taught in their home language are 30% more likely to read with understanding than those who are not. This can also help families to learn and help their children with their reading as well. It seems like access to books in multiple languages could be a big help!
It turns out, Ames Public Library has been supporting International Mother Language Day without ever realizing it! The Library’s youth department has a World Language collection with books in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Russian, Korean, and Spanish. We have a variety of books, from picture books to chapter books in these languages. We also have a variety of languages in the adult collection.
There are more than books too. Online language learning is available through Mango and Little Pim. The Library’s Conversation Circles events are a great way to meet people in person and chat in English, American Sign Language, Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or French.
Celebrate International Mother Language Day with us; Pick up a book, join a Conversation Circle, or check out online resources in your mother language (even if it’s English)!