ELT & International Mother Language Day

International Mother Language Day (IMLD), on 21 February, is a day to celebrate linguistic diversity and embrace multilingualism.


Well, we all know that children who are fluent in their mother tongue can learn another language in a much easier way. But we often fail to realise how much the language we use influences our view of the world and the ways in which we communicate.


Children and teenagers who are exposed to many languages start seeing things from a different perspective. We perceive and navigate the world through our senses, but we make sense of it through our intellect, which is fundamentally influenced by language. That’s why every language is a window into a new way of thinking! Older students who learn a new language understand their own language and culture better through comparison. And as scientists unlock more of the secrets of the brain, they’re learning that speaking many languages has benefits that extend from childhood into old age. For example, the more languages we know, the less likely we are to experience memory loss or decline of our other mental skills!


👉 2022 IMLD: Technology & Multilingual Learning 

The theme of the 2022 International Mother Language Day, Using Technology for Multilingual Learning: Challenges & Opportunities, raises the potential role of technology to advance multilingual education and support the development of quality teaching and learning for all. 


Well, let’s admit it: as time goes on, we notice that it is nearly impossible to do any kind of learning without the implementation of technology. That’s why at E-planet Educational Services we are strong advocates of blended education, a method of education that allows students of all ages to combine the traditional classroom setting with self-paced online sessions. That’s why we take advantage of the digital world and embrace e-learning, m-learning and the different ways in which technology can contribute to the learning process. That’s why we firmly believe in effective and flexible education that caters for all learning styles. 


UNESCO organises a webinar on 21 February, which will focus on enhancing the role of teachers in the promotion of quality multilingual learning and reflecting on the technologies that support multilingual teaching. You can register for the useful webinar here: Webinar – 2022 IMLD.


👉 ELT Classroom Ideas  

How are you celebrating International Mother Language Day this year? Are you wondering how you can transform your ELT classroom into a garden of languages?  


First of all, get ready to shake things up! To fully reap the benefits of a language celebration, it is essential to involve every student in your ELT classroom in a fun way. For example, you can ask your young students to think of English words that actually come from their mother tongue. To add a little bit of extra excitement, turn this activity into a game and see a smile on the faces of your little learners! You could divide your students into two or three teams, give them a time limit and explain that each team has to come up with as many words as possible.


You can also find interesting online activities that will encourage students to learn more about their mother tongue and multilingualism. A good example is the World Language Map (by the University of Manchester) that helps children to explore the different ways in which people speak across the world!


Your older students will appreciate tips and tricks on translation techniques. Well, they’ve certainly understood that literal, word-for-word translation often simply doesn’t work! For example, in English they could say that they ‘sit’ an exam, but could they do that in their mother tongue? Help them during their English language learning journey with our Top Translation Tips & Tricks for EFL Learners!


Free online resources will also motivate them to explore the importance of languages. For example, they can watch this interesting TED Talk, in which Lera Boroditsky, a cognitive scientist, explains how languages shape the way we think!


Happy International Mother Language Day celebrations from all of us at E-planet Educational Services!


If you liked this, you might also like to read the article: Learning Foreign Languages – Is It Really a Question of Age?

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