The 21 February 2022 International Mother Tongue Day marked the 25th anniversary of this international event. Leaders across the globe delivered their disquisitions in various platforms on the theme of the day i.e., Using technology for multilingual learning: challenges and opportunities.
The International Mother Tongue celebration is historically a Bangladesh’s brain child and was later approved by the UNESCO in 1999. The first ever celebration was in year 2000, since then it has become an annual event celebrated worldwide. This event means different things to different people.
To some it is a symbol of freedom a linguistic/cultural triumph. To a fair few it is just a day to remember their roots and it ends there. To the former there is some level of dignity restoration and newly found hope for the emancipation of the previously marginalized people. It is a victory of the down trodden, those of whom their languages were on the brink of extinction.
UNESCO noted thus linguistic diversity is increasingly coming under threat as more and more languages disappear. The UN reports that globally 40% of the population does not have access to an education in a language they speak or understand. It is through days like these that native languages are promoted and efforts to preserve are made.
The politics of language is very deep and complex. It invariably becomes the bone of contention when power relations are strained or contrived. Every nation in the world aspires to be dominant and have its language dominant too across the globe.
The dominance of English is a case in point, the speakers of the English feel so important and dominant due to the currency their language possess in all spheres of life, be it politics, economy, information technology etc. English hegemony has entrenched itself in almost every nation in the world.
It has systematically made itself an epitome of civilization and internationalization. People across racial divide feel empty or less important if they lack the requisite command of English.
In South African context the language situation is no different. Constitutionally there are 11 official languages but English prevails dominant.
The SA constitution of 1996 particularly section 29 (2) provides for all indigenous languages to be developed owing to the past apartheid regime’s deliberate neglect of these languages.
It is for this reason that I believe events such as International Mother Tongue Day should mean more than a celebration, it must also affirm people’s commitment to the ideals espoused in the constitution. The big question is; are citizens interested in developments of their own languages?
Do they really see the need to emancipate these languages to the level of English? As a country, have we done enough to create civic awareness on the importance of the native languages to be languages of trade, education, research and innovation? I think not.
One, our leaders themselves see no value in developing our languages. You see this when they address masses, they address them in English regardless of the number of English speakers in the audience.
What makes it even worse is that one's proficiency in English is, technically, a measure of intelligence. In shopping centres, you see four to five black kids conversing in the Queen's language without a single white kid amongst them. Therefore, Mother Tongue celebration Day will continue to be just a day like any other day that is celebrated with no substance.
Politicians see no need to do something meaningful if it does not help elucidate their political ends. They will stop at nothing to ensure that they use the platform for something else other than what the day was meant for.
They get fed what to say by their speech writers therefore presuming that once they descend from the podium they forget all that they were saying would not be an unreasonable idea. Unfortunately, our system of governance is structured in such a way that the very important developmental goals of the nation are dependent on politicians.
Language development is one of the most important developmental goals but it is always overlooked because it does not give politicians the political mileage that they are always looking for, it is a soft subject in their eyes.
Two, there has to be a concerted effort to improve the currency of these indigenous languages in order for them to compete with international languages. Government and private sector have a moral duty to fund the projects that are geared at improving the status of these languages.
There are a lot of angles this could be achieved e.g., assisting universities with funding to carry on creating technical terms, producing new literature, and creating new applications that are compatible with grammatical conventions of these languages. Or creating games in native languages for basic education so that kids see value in their mother languages at an early age.
Online platforms must be developed using these languages so that the speakers of the languages feel part of the international community.
Third, dispel the myth that indigenous languages cannot be used in formal settings. Allow the courts to pass judgements in these languages. Force banks to translate in these languages, pharmacies must translate their meds ingredients into these languages, insurance companies must translate their contracts, the automobile sector must have all their parts translated into these languages.
These are some of the strategies that can help elevate the status of the indigenous languages making the speakers realize the power of their own languages. This could spark invention, innovation, and ultimately improve the lives of the people.
It has been more than 27 years since SA attained freedom but very little has been done to ensure that native languages are developed. There is an unquestionable need to systematically develop them so that they can be languages of trade, administration, technology, and innovation.
The lack of political will to enforce this development is symptomic of a dying state. The only sector that is trying is higher education. Universities have tried their level best in conducting research, to come up with policies that are pro-African language development whilst other sectors see no value in following suit.
If this can be coordinated at government level perhaps there can be a visible improvement. However, the government is happy with ticking boxes in lieu of forcing all institutions private and public to do their bit in developing these indigenous languages.
*Khumbulani Mngadi is an independent analyst based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.