Celebrating International Mother Language Day 2023

We join the world and language community today celebrating International Mother Language Day (IMLD). This year’s theme is “Multilingual education – a necessity to transform education.”

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):

• Children taught in their mother tongue are 30% more likely to read the basics by the end of primary school.
• At most one in five children in Africa are taught in their mother tongue.
• In sub-Saharan Africa children taught in their mother tongue are 130% more likely to read by the end of primary school.
• More than 6,700 languages are spoken worldwide, but at least 40% are threatened with extinction.

IMLD was proclaimed by the UNESCO General Conference in November 1999. The UN General Assembly welcomed the proclamation of the day in its resolution of 2002.

You can follow on social media using the hashtags: #internationalmotherlanguageday, #IMLD23, and #IMLD2023.

In addition, you learn more about IMLD2023 on the UNESCO website and YouTube channel.

Happy International Mother Language Day 2023!