International Mother Tongue Day! 🌍
International Mother Language Day is celebrated annually on 21 February, focusing on multilingual education as a pillar of intergenerational learning. The average member of the EarlyBird256 community speaks at least three languages, and we are a growing, diverse community.
Ethnologue was a great research resource. You can access past and present data of any language in the world. Currently, there are about 8 billion people in the world, with 430 million dead and 86% literate. The billions of people speak about 7,164 languages, 2,000 of which are African dialects.
The research noted that because of a lack of documentation, languages with no known descendants, and other reasons, many languages throughout history have not been extensively documented, making it challenging to track their existence and evolution. One thing that we can confirm is that we need more universal languages. Why have one when there are thousands of languages?
Linguistic diversity in Africa
According to UNESCO, Nigeria and Cameroon are both among the top 10 countries in the world with the most languages. The languages are often linked to ethnic groups and cultural identities. Some languages are closely related, while others are distantly related.
General overview of languages across Africa
West Africa: West Africa is home to a significant number of languages, with Nigeria leading the way with over 520 languages. Other countries with notable linguistic diversity include Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Senegal.
Central Africa: Countries in Central Africa, such as Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic, also have diverse linguistic landscapes. For example, Cameroon has over 260 languages.
East Africa: In East Africa, countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda have numerous languages. Ethiopia, for example, has over 90 indigenous languages. Uganda has about 43 languages.
Southern Africa: South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are among the countries with various languages, including several indigenous languages. South Africa has 11 official languages, including Zulu, Xhosa, and Afrikaans.
North Africa: While Arabic is widely spoken in North Africa, there are also indigenous languages such as Tamazight (Berber) and others.
African languages have influenced many languages spoken in the Americas, the Caribbean, and other parts of the world, leading to the development of Creole languages and different dialects that combine African and European languages.
The advancement of technology has made it easier to connect with people as well as learn other languages. Apps like Duolingo and Translate are good resources for those open to learning other languages.
What does International Mother Tongue Day mean to you? Were you raised in a bilingual household, just like most of the EarlyBird256?
Please share your thoughts and experiences with us.
