International Mother Language Day is celebrated globally every year on 21 February to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. First proclaimed by UNESCO in November 1999, the day honours the students in Dhaka, Bangladesh, who bravely fought in 1952 for the recognition of the Bengali language.

To mark this important day, the Centre for African Language Teaching (CALT), together with the Faculty of Education’s Setswana and African Languages subject group, hosted International Mother Language Day event on 27 February 2026 at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Vanderbijlpark Campus.

With nearly 40% of the world’s languages at risk of disappearing, the day is a vital call to preserve our linguistic heritage and promote education in mother tongues.

Prof. Lloyd Conley, executive dean of the Faculty of Education, emphasised that mother tongue is far more than a sentimental or cultural matter – it is scientifically and neurologically essential.

He explained that the language a child learns shapes how their brain develops, how they organise their world, and how they learn to think and reason. Early language experiences, especially between ages one and five, lay the foundation for academic success, emotional security, and creativity. “Mother tongue is the foundation of thinking, learning, and identity. Strengthening it strengthens both education and human development,” he said.

Highlighting the personal and cultural dimensions of language, Dr Dolly Dlavane, director at the CALT, noted that language shapes who we are from the very beginning of life. Even before birth, a baby begins to conceptualise language in the womb, absorbing the words, rhythms, and cultural meanings of their home environment.

“When children are later taught in a language they do not fully comprehend, that early cognitive framework cannot be used to its full potential,” she said. She emphasised that mother tongue education remains the most effective means of accessing knowledge, achieving academic success, and participating meaningfully in society.

Julius Dantile, executive head of languages and acting chief executive officer of the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB), delivered the keynote address after being introduced by Dr Elize Küng, deputy dean for strategic relations.

He challenged the audience to rethink language not merely as a tool of communication, but as the very foundation of identity, dignity, humanity and economic drive. Drawing on ancestry and generational continuity, he emphasised that language carries history within it, linking individuals to their forebears and shaping their sense of self.

“You cannot separate the human being from the language,” he argued, stressing that mother tongue is inseparable from personal and collective identity. He cited the well-known quote by Nelson Mandela: “If you speak to a person in a language they understand, that goes to their head. If you speak to them in their own language, that goes to their heart.”

Referencing South Africa’s constitutional commitment to multilingualism, Julius urged universities and institutions to move past symbolic recognition of indigenous languages toward genuine “parity of esteem”.

While acknowledging the country’s painful history in which language was used as a tool of division, he challenged the audience to think critically about how indigenous languages can now be used as instruments of transformation, equity and inclusion. For him, the question is no longer whether languages are officially recognised, but whether they are meaningfully used in education and intellectual spaces.

He further argued that true transformation requires bridging what he described as the separation between the “head and the heart” in education. Speaking to students and academics alike, he called for courageous conversations about mother tongue instruction, local linguistic realities, and the role of higher education in restoring dignity and full humanity through language. His message was clear: multilingualism must be lived, not simply legislated.

The event was attended by academics from all three campuses, students, Sesotho subject specialists from the Department of Education Sedibeng Circuit, together with language experts. The programme remained vibrant and celebratory, enriched by the gifted River Voices Choir and engaging traditional performances by the students.

Prof Lloyd Conley, executive dean of the Faculty of Education

Dr Elize Küng, deputy dean for strategic relations

Julius Dantile, keynote speaker, executive head of languages and acting chief executive officer of the Pan South African Language Board

Dr Dolly Dlavane, director at the Centre for African Language Teaching