INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY (IMLD) BY UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANISATION (UNESCO)

Today is International Mother Language Day, endorsed by UNESCO, and a commentary was written on it by a news correspondent of Unizik 94.1 F.M, Ugokwe Joy.

"A language can be defined as a system of sounds, written symbols, and/or signs used by the people of a particular country, geographical area, tribe, or status as the case may be, to communicate with each other. It can also be described as the human ability to acquire and use complex systems of communication.
Mother language or mother tongue, which is also widely known as dialect or native language, is the indigenous language of one's parents which is usually the first language learnt by him/her.
International mother language day is an observance held annually on 21st February worldwide. It was first announced by United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), on 17th November 1999. Its significance is to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
The date represents the day in 1952 when students from different educational institutions such as; Dhaka University, Jagannath University, Dhaka Medical College demonstrating for recognition of their languages of the then Pakistan, were shot and killed by police in Dhaka (near high court), which is the capital of present-day Bangladesh.
UNESCO defines bilingual and multilingual education as "the use of two or more languages as mediums of instruction."
UNESCO advocates for mother tongue instruction in a bilingual or multilingual education approach in the early years because of its importance in creating a strong foundation for learning.
The use of mother tongue with young children at home or in pre-school prepares them for the smooth acquisition of the second (perhaps national) language at a later stage in their schooling. Recent research shows that when students who are not yet fluent in their second/official language such as English or French, but have switched to using only the said official language, would have the tendency of functioning at an intellectual level below their age thereby resulting to academic failure. Students who learn second language and continue to develop their native language would have chances of higher academic achievement in later years than those who learn their second language at the expense of their first language.
In Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Education collaborates with the Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN) and with other ministries and associations, to organise events on every 21st February, to promote the purpose of International Mother Language Day.
According to the permanent Secretary  in the Ministry, Dr. Macjohn Nwaobiala, Nigeria's indigenous languages are facing the threat of becoming extinct due to remarkable decline in usage.
The theme for International Mother Language Day 2015 is "inclusion in and through education: Language counts". Its focus is on one of the main challenges that cuts across many of the goals, that is Inclusion (equity/quality).
UNESCO Director General, Irina Bokova, said that local languages constitutes the majority of languages spoken across our world in the field of science. They are also the most endangered. Excluding languages means excluding those who speak them from their fundamental human right to scientific knowledge.
UNESCO calls on nations to help promote the languages in the world today."
RPT: UGOKWE JOY CHISOM.

Pictures to come later on... Do have a nice day *muaaahhhh*