THE importance of International Mother Language Day on Feb. 21 is keenly felt by those living in a foreign land, who have only a limited number of people with whom they can communicate in their native tongue. The day is observed every year by UNESCO, with this year being the International Year of Languages. Saudi Arabia is a country that is home to many people with different cultural backgrounds and languages. Saudi Gazette met with some expatriates living here who have embraced the celebration of International Mother Language Day, and say they enjoy the freedom to practice their mother tongue in the Kingdom, yet miss out on the joys of using it at times. “Everyone loves his mother language. To have a day to celebrate one's mother tongue is a good idea. As an expatriate here, I realize its significance. Living here has made my language dearer to me. I always like to hear and speak Filipino, but it is not always possible here,” said Ebrahim Mamalinda, a Filipino national who works as a banker in Jeddah. Today, about half of the approximately 6,000 languages spoken in the world are under threat. At least 3,000 are endangered, seriously endangered or are dying. The first International Mother Language Day was observed on Nov. 17, 1999, after which it has been marked every year by UNESCO member states and at UNESCO headquarters to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. Feb. 21 has a special significance for Bangladeshi nationals as it was chosen in commemoration of the 1952 Language Movement Day in Bangladesh, in which five students died defending the recognition of Bangla as one of the state languages of the erstwhile Pakistan, now Bangladesh. Fazlul Hoque, an eminent Bangladeshi community member, is proud of the rich historical background of his mother language, Bangla. “Bangla, as a language, dates back more than one thousand years. It has a fine tradition of literature - old, rich and varied. Linguistically, it belongs to the Indo-European group of languages. People from different countries have contributed to the language,” she said. Mohamed Jiffry, a Sri Lankan expatriate, who works as an executive officer in a leading company in Jeddah, said his country's official language, Sinhala, is not spoken outside the community, and that he often misses the ‘personal touch' in any communication. “In the Kingdom, we cannot practice our language at large. We can only do so in private gatherings,” he said. He said the Tamil language, spoken among Sri Lankans as well as the Indians, is also valued as a native language, and that English is widely used when conducting business. Jiffry said an average Sri Lankan can understand and converse in all three languages, i.e., Sinhala, Tamil and English. “Our mother language is one that helps us achieve a common understanding with our parents and the broader community of friends and school. It is the language of childhood and family experience,” he said. However, many expatriate children who were born and brought up in Saudi Arabia are unable to practice their vernacular like they would in their home countries. Burmese Mohammed Osman who lives with his family in Makkah cannot speak a word in Burmese. “My first language is Burmese but I can neither speak nor understand a word of it. Because of this, the idea of going back to Burma scares me,” he said. “One's language makes him a patriot and a patriot makes the strength and wealth of a country,” Osman added.
