© UNESCO/Montakarn S. Kittipaisalsilp
International Mother Language Day takes places each year on 21 February. It was proclaimed by UNESCO in 1999 and later adopted by the UN General Assembly. The Day highlights the role of languages in promoting inclusion and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The Day’s origins lie in the Language Movement in Bangladesh, when students campaigning for the recognition of Bengali as a state language were killed during protests in 1952. The day commemorates their sacrifice and affirms the principle that linguistic diversity and the right to use one’s mother tongue are fundamental to cultural identity and education.
Multilingual education not only promotes inclusive societies but also aids in preserving non-dominant, minority, and indigenous languages. It seeks to provide support for equitable access to education and encourage lifelong learning opportunities for all individuals.
In Europe, actions in support of the Day often take place in schools and libraries, with pupils invited to share stories, poems or songs in their home languages. In countries such as Finland, Spain (“Barcelona celebrates the International Mother Language Day”, “21 de febrero, Día internacional de la lengua materna”) and Ireland, the Day is often used to highlight regional or minority languages alongside the languages spoken by migrant communities, reinforcing the value of all linguistic backgrounds.
A range of resources is available to help schools commemorate the Day. UNESCO provides dedicated webpages, classroom materials and policy guidance on mother-tongue-based multilingual education. Organisations such as the British Council provide teaching resources. These resources encourage educators to recognise pupils’ home languages as assets rather than obstacles to learning, and to explore how language supports well-being, inclusion and academic success. Activities often include language mapping, multilingual storytelling, or discussions about how languages are used in everyday life.
International Mother Language Day shares important similarities with the Council’s European Day of Languages, celebrated on 26 September. Both promote linguistic diversity and intercultural dialogue, but they emphasise different aspects. UNESCO’s day focuses primarily on the protection and recognition of mother tongues and linguistic rights worldwide, while the European Day of Languages places greater emphasis on promoting the linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe and encouraging citizens to learn languages throughout their lives as a means of promoting plurilingualism and intercultural understanding.
International Mother Language Day also aligns closely with the Council of Europe’s broader work on language and minority rights, particularly through instruments such as the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.
For 2026, the focus of International Mother Language Day is on “Youth voices on multilingual education”. This theme highlights young people’s role in shaping the future of multilingual education by advocating for education systems that recognise and value every learner’s language repertoire. It reflects the growing understanding that multilingualism is not only a social reality but a powerful educational approach, and that youth from diverse linguistic backgrounds are vital in promoting and keeping languages alive across communities.
Some useful resources:
www.un.org/en/observances/mother-language-day
www.unesco.org/en/days/mother-language
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/magazine-zone/international-mother-language-day
www.dw.com/en/mother-language-day-what-it-is-and-why-its-important/a-71685546