Why International Mother Language Day is as important as ever todayAs we approach International Mother Language Day on February 21, marches and events will be scheduled in high intensity by members of minority language speakers to bring awareness about their language. Language destruction can occur through more subtle gradual processes understood as a language shift or through direct state enforced policies. In the latter case, scholars have adapted the concept — linguicide (language death) — deriving from the words ‘language’ and ‘genocide’, to describe the phenomenon of intentional government enforced language planning policies and initiatives. Regardless of the mechanics resulting in the endangerment of a language, once a language finds itself on the way to extinction, its revival becomes almost impossible. We need to wait and see to what extent one can speak of the revival of the Kurdish language, while prospects for the Zazaki language are bleaker and since 2009, it has been declared as a vulnerable language by UNESCO and faces extinctionWhat to do on February 21?

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 21, 2019 13:52 UTC