UNESCO’s International Mother Language Day (IMLD) takes place on 21 February each year. IMLD is aimed at to encouraging awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity, and to promote multilingualism.

2025 also marks the 25^th anniversary of International Mother Language Day. This milestone highlights a quarter-century of dedicated efforts to preserve linguistic diversity and promote the use of mother tongues.

 

UNESCO estimates that there are 8,324 languages, spoken or signed, worldwide. Out of these, they estimate that around 7,000 languages are still in use. However, linguistic diversity is under threat, with many languages disappearing at an accelerated pace in our rapidly changing world.

 

Learning in one’s mother tongue enhances comprehension, engagement, and critical thinking, particularly for marginalised communities, but 37% of learners in low- and middle-income countries lack this opportunity. Multilingual education addresses these gaps, boosting participation, retention, and socio-emotional development, while also supporting global goals like gender equality, climate action, and sustainable communities.

 

Given its global membership across five continents, the Order of Malta recognises the importance of embracing multilingual nature of the Order. The Order regular publishes officially in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish languages, and the Order of Malta Romania also formally communicates in Romanian language. To learn more about the Order’s ancient language system, see: https://www.orderofmalta.int/history/the-ancient-languages-of-the-order

 

To learn more about IMLD, see: https://www.un.org/en/observances/mother-language-day