World Mother Tongue Day 2019. 1st EPAL-Karditsa

21st February World Mother Tongue Day

«Our Intangible Heritage, a Value for the Future»

Mother Tongue  Mother tongue, or first language, is the language a person learns since birth.  The mother tongue is part of every human being’s identity.

«Our Intangible Heritage, a Value for the Future»

‘World Mother Tongue Day’ was established by UNESCO on 17th November 1999, aiming at promoting linguistic diversity and multilingual education, as well as saving languages that are close to extinction.

«Our Intangible Heritage, a Value for the Future»

It all started after the Dhaka massacre on 21 st February 1952, when a university students’ protest in eastern Pakistan (today’s Bangladesh) was violently suppressed and four people were killed. The students were protesting against the abolition of their local language, Bengali, and the recognition of Urdu as the official state language.

This day, which was originally celebrated in Bangladesh as “the Day of the Language Movement” and later spread internationally, is one of the country’s national holidays.

«Our Intangible Heritage, a Value for the Future»

A Greek musician named Stavros Papastavrou made a song especially for this day, titled ‘Mother Language Day’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7-e8ojgEpw

«Our Intangible Heritage, a Value for the Future»

For any ethnicity, the mother tongue is not just a communicative tool, a channel of transmitting information, knowledge, feelings and thoughts. It is also a fundamental aspect of its cultural identity.

Linguistic diversity is not just limited to the mother tongue. It begins with the local dialects which determine, with the passing of time, the composition of the mother tongue itself.

ÂŤOur Intangible Heritage, a Value for the FutureÂť

A child’s first words are its first communication code. The mother tongue is the way with which we learn to navigate in the world.

It defines our

psychology, our memories, our cognitions that will lead us throughout life.

Language is necessary for communication. It is the factor that makes change, innovation, creativity, dialogue and progress in society possible. Nowadays, the use or non-use of certain languages can open or close – respectively- a door to some parts of a community, a society or a whole ethnicity.

«Our Intangible Heritage, a Value for the Future»

Είναι προφανές, επομένως, ότι η συνειδητοποίηση του ζωτικού ρόλου, που κατέχει η μητρική γλώσσα, ξεπερνά τα προσωπικά, κοινοτικά ή εθνικά σύνορα. Πρόκειται για μία από τις βασικές παραμέτρους διατήρησης και εξέλιξης της πολιτιστικής πολυμορφίας και ενίσχυσης του διαπολιτισμικού διαλόγου. Οι γλώσσες είναι το πιο ισχυρό εργαλείο για τη διατήρηση και την ανάπτυξη της πολιτιστικής κληρονομιάς άυλης και υλικής.

«Our Intangible Heritage, a Value for the Future»

Η προώθηση της διάδοσης των μητρικών γλωσσών θα χρησιμεύσει όχι μόνο για την ενθάρρυνση μιας γλωσσικής πολυμορφίας και γενικότερα μιας πολύγλωσσης εκπαίδευσης, αλλά κυρίως στο να διατηρήσουμε και να διαδώσουμε το σύνολο των γλωσσικών και πολιτιστικών παραδόσεων σ’ όλο τον κόσμο με ευρύτερο στόχο την ενθάρρυνση μιας καθολικής αλληλεγγύης, που θα βασίζεται στην κατανόηση, στην ανοχή και στον ανοιχτό δημόσιο διάλογο.

«Our Intangible Heritage, a Value for the Future»

Next, we will watch two relevant videos:  What΄s your mother language https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMDxUFbkE_M

 World Mother Tongue Day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-69vQ65GhEc

«Our Intangible Heritage, a Value for the Future»

Language is undoubtedly the most important and effective means of communication for humans. With linguistic tools people can act as senders or receivers, to send, emit and exchange information, knowledge, experience, perceptions, emotions, thoughts. Without language, human communication and understanding would be, to say the least, very ineffective and creative

ÂŤOur Intangible Heritage, a Value for the FutureÂť

Is our language in danger?

There is no such danger.

A language which is spoken, taught at schools, has its own country and literature

Is not in danger of losing its speakers.

Languages that have been lost, and those in danger today, are languages with few speakers, Without ‘support mechanisms’:

schools, dictionaries, grammar, country.

«Our Intangible Heritage, a Value for the Future»

From about 6,000 languages spoken today worldwide, half of them are endangered. These are mainly native peoples’ languages without written traditions and official recognition in the respective countries.

«Our Intangible Heritage, a Value for the Future»

Linguists estimate: until 2050 at least half of the languages are endangered

in 2100 there will be about 600 languages

ÂŤOur Intangible Heritage, a Value for the FutureÂť

ÂŤOur Intangible Heritage, a Value for the FutureÂť

ÂŤOur Intangible Heritage, a Value for the FutureÂť

ÂŤOur Intangible Heritage, a Value for the FutureÂť

ÂŤOur Intangible Heritage, a Value for the FutureÂť

ÂŤOur Intangible Heritage, a Value for the FutureÂť

ÂŤOur Intangible Heritage, a Value for the FutureÂť

ÂŤOur Intangible Heritage, a Value for the FutureÂť

ÂŤOur Intangible Heritage, a Value for the FutureÂť

ÂŤOur Intangible Heritage, a Value for the FutureÂť

Mother tongue We celebrate it once a year and We speak it 365 days a year!

ÂŤOur Intangible Heritage, a Value for the FutureÂť

Thank you for your attention!!!

ÂŤOur Intangible Heritage, a Value for the FutureÂť