The spiritual treasure of any nation is the language. The most important for any person is the language in which he first learns to speak and recognize the world around him. This is the language of childhood, the language spoken in the family, the language of the first relationships in society. The native language is an expression of self-consciousness and the connection of generations. It is closely connected with the history of the ethnos, ensures its unity and becomes a guarantee of its originality: it forms an inextricable link between its bearers and serves as the basis for the people. Mother tongue activities contribute not only to linguistic diversity and multilingualism, but also to a better understanding of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world. But despite their enormous value, languages around the world continue to disappear. The disappearance of any language means the loss of a particle of the universal heritage. UNESCO calls on all countries to develop support and intensify activities aimed at respecting and protecting all languages, and especially those on the verge of extinction.
Every year on February 21, the world celebrates International Mother Language Day. International Mother Language Day was adopted at the General Conference of UNESCO in 1999 and has been celebrated around the world since 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
Every year, International Mother Language Day is dedicated to a specific theme. In 2023, International Mother Language Day will be dedicated to the theme “Multilingual education – a necessity to transform education”.
Educational lectures, conferences, seminars are held on this day. Actions are being taken to protect the state language. Exhibitions and presentations dedicated to languages are organized at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris and its branches, festive concerts are organized. Thematic classes are held in educational institutions. Contests are held among connoisseurs of the native language. Articles are published in the media about active and endangered languages.
Bagul JUMAYEVA,
2nd year student of the Faculty of
International Journalism of the Institute of International
Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.