MEDIA STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
18 FEBRUARY 2022, PRETORIA
THE PAN SOUTH AFRICAN LANGUAGE BOARD & DEPARTMENT OF SPORT, ARTS & CULTURE TO COMMEMORATE INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY (21 FERBYUARY 2022)
The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) in partnership with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, will on 21 and 22 February 2022, be commemorating the International Mother Language Day (IMLD) at the Premier Hotel, ICC, East London in the Eastern Cape. This is a worldwide annual observance to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity, and multilingualism to foster tolerance and respect for others.
As declared by UNESCO, this commemoration is also in line with the Global Action Plan for the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022 -2032), to accelerate efforts to preserve, revitalize and promote indigenous languages.
Under the theme “Using technology for multilingual learning: Challenges and opportunities” this year’s commemoration will focus on how languages and multilingualism can advance inclusion, and explore the role of technology to advance multilingual education and support the development of quality teaching and learning for all.
“At its essence, language is a function of economics, and language usage in a multilingual context is critical as the unequal usage of languages often results in economic inequality. We must therefore not only embrace linguistic diversity but ensure that there are effective language policies in place that support the vision for an effective multilingual society” said PanSALB Chief Executive Officer, Mr Lance Schultz.
“UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM Report) indicates that 40% of the global population does not have access to education in their mother tongue. There must be concerted effort to offer subjects such as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in languages that are familiar to learners, languages that they speak at home. Particularly because these subjects deal with complex concepts that when taught in an unfamiliar language become even more daunting for learners to grasp” added the PanSALB CEO.
The two-day commemoration event (21-22 February 2022) will be live streamed on PanSALB social media pages.
