FEBRUARY BLOG POST(2) – International Mother Language Day 2025

International Mother Language Day 2025

Today, 21st of February 2025, the world celebrates the 25^th anniversary of International Mother Language Day. The observance of this day is to promote linguistic diversity and culture globally.

I will share with you my experience and thoughts on why the mother language has declined, and how we can restore and preserve it.

The first language that a child is introduced to is their mother language. Growing up in Kenya in 1970’s and 1980’s, I recall speaking only my mother tongue. It was also the language of instruction used in early childhood education especially in the rural areas. Learning was easy and fun since we were already familiar with the language used to teach us. 

As I progressed to upper primary, there was a strict directive in school to only speak English as it was the language of instruction at this level. This led to the decline of mother languages in Kenya as schools used punitive methods to discourage students from speaking their mother tongue while in school.                                  

One such punitive method was the use of a Monto. A monto is a wooden plank that is worn as a necklace to publicly shame a student who is heard speaking in their mother tongue. In addition, the students that spoke English were revered and seen as civilized while those who spoke their mother tongue were scorned and seen as primitive. Many people from this generation will agree with me that the above reasons contributed to the decline of mother languages. 

                    

                                                        

This decline of the mother language had a ripple effect into the next generation, my children, who are now teenagers. They do not speak their mother language. To avoid shame and disgrace, I did not speak to my children in my mother tongue. I spoke to them in English because it alluded to class and prestige. As a parent, I am guilty of participating in the decline of my mother language. I did not transfer this cultural knowledge with them and now they do not speak the language.

It has negatively impacted my children because they do not know many aspects of their culture. They are not able to communicate with their great grandmother and other relatives who do not speak English. They are always confused when we attend cultural family events such as weddings and funerals because they do not understand the language being spoken. 

Does it mean that my mother language ends with me and my generation? 

No, all is not lost, it doesn’t end there. 

Mother language is an important part of culture that we need to preserve. We can preserve our culture and mother languages by doing the following;

First, we start from the basics and speak to our children our mother tongue from the moment they are born.

Then, we should also document our culture using our mother language by writing books, articles, taking photos and videos of cultural ceremonies. 

Teach our mother language using technology such as translation apps and YouTube language class. 

The children also need to listen to radio stations and watch content that promotes the use of their mother language in their programs and entertainment.

Also, visiting spaces that promote culture through talks, song and dance is also another way of preserving our mother language. Bomas of Kenya is one of the spaces to visit.  

Lastly, we need to know and teach our children that no culture is superior or inferior from another.  Cultures will differ in practice, language and values globally however, respecting other cultures that are different from our own will help promote global diversity.

---

Monica Nyambura 

Africa Kids Book Club Founder