[MLE] Article on the value of language from the new UNESCO India director

Dear multilingual education friends,

Last week I had the privilege to meet the new UNESCO director for this region at their Delhi office: Mr Shigeru Aoyagi. Only now I discovered he had just that week written an article on the issue of language: Languages are vehicles of understanding, tolerance. In that article he e.g. wrote:
Mother languages, along with linguistic diversity, matter for the identity of individuals. As sources of creativity and vehicles for cultural expression, they are also important for the health of societies. Studies and researches show that use of mother language at initial stage of education would enhance children’s comprehension skills. We know how important education in the mother language is for learning outcomes. Mother language instruction is also a powerful way to fight discrimination and reach out to marginalised populations.

Good to note we have now such a strong language advocate in the Delhi UNESCO office together with Dr Alisher Umarov, the new head of the UNESCO Education Department.

The International Day of Language did last week produce some more interesting reading:


Regards,
Karsten


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Karsten van Riezen
Education
Consultant, LinkedIn Profile
SIL International, South Asia Group

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