International Mother Language Day 2026: Importance of Preserving Our Mother Tongue

International Mother Language Day 2026: Importance of Preserving Our Mother Tongue

International Mother Language Day 2026: Importance of Preserving Our Mother Tongue February 21 – International Mother Language Day International Mother Language Day is observed every year on February 21 to promote linguistic diversity and preserve cultural heritage across the globe. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared this day in 1999, recognizing the language movement of 1952, when people fought to protect their mother tongue Bengali in what was then Pakistan. Following a proposal from Bangladesh, February 21 was officially adopted to honor that historic struggle. UNESCO’s Vision on Language Education UNESCO has been advocating since 1999 that education systems should ideally include at least three languages: Mother Language National Language International Language Research suggests that children who first learn in their mother tongue and then gradually acquire additional languages develop better cognitive skills and smoother academic …