International Mother Tongue Day

International Mother Tongue Day is Sunday, February 21st this year. Proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) during a General Conference on November 1999, international mother tongue day is meant to “promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world”. The term mother languages can be understood as the first language someone is exposed to and learns as an infant, rather than a language learned at school or as an adult. This initiative is meant to increase awareness of language issues as well as promote the development of relationships between partners to provide resources and implement strategies and policies in favour of language diversity and multiculturalism around the world.

Canada is ever increasingly diverse in its language base as its immigration policy allows for the development of multiculturalism and languages throughout Canada, especially in large metropolitan regions. In fact, there are more than 215 different mother tongues spoken throughout Canada. These statistics might not reflect the full diversity of dialects however, as they might differ substantially between regions. From the 2016 Census, it has been noted that 7 in 10 Canadians spoke a mother tongue other than French or English at home. The share of domestic mother tongues spoken within Canada such as French, English, and indigenous languages are decreasing as speaking immigrant mother tongues grew by 13.3% in the last 5 years and are predicted to rise in the future. European languages as mother tongues have been decreasing over the recent years but languages most vulnerable and in need of preservation and support are indigenous languages. Here is a link to find out more about endangered and vulnerable indigenous languages in Canada by Canadian Geographic.

In learning more about International Mother Tongue Day, I was reflecting on the richness and diversity of languages brought to Canada through migration. These many languages literally speak to Canada’s spirit of inclusion, welcoming people from so many different cultures who find a common home in our nation. I also reflected on how I could capture this in an image: migration to, and languages spoken across Canada. I chose a Canadian goose as a representative symbol for mother tongue day as I thought it would be a fitting symbolic representation considering they are creatures native to our country and because of their annual migrations to new environments, yet their eventual return to their homeland, Canada.

James Mihaljevic
Carleton University Student