Celebrating local linguistic diversity

Reading residents are invited to celebrate UNESCO’s International Mother Language Day at an event hosted by the University of Reading on Wednesday 21 February. 

‘My Mother Tongue: A celebration of community languages’, organised by the Centre for Literacy and Multilingualism (CeLM), will bring together local communities to celebrate and preserve Reading’s linguistic and cultural diversity.

As a longstanding hub for leading research into literacy and multilingualism, CeLM (based at the University of Reading) closely engages with and learns from diverse linguistic communities with the aim to empower them.

The event will take place between 11am and 1pm at the Lifespring Church on Reading’s Oxford Road, a unique urban space with more than 70 languages spoken by its residents.

The event will provide a welcoming space for them to share their experiences, connect with one another and enjoy a range of cultural activities, including:

• Refreshments from different cultures, including Arabic coffee
• Art displays
• Poetry from Afghanistan
• Folk songs from Egypt
• Dance and song from Sudan
• Story reading for children
• Calligraphy writing 

The organisers from CeLM have worked with community researchers and local groups to deliver this family-friendly, free event on International Mother Language Day, which is celebrated every year on 21 February to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism.

Dr Holly Joseph, Director of CeLM, said: “In Reading, we have an incredible richness of languages and cultures. This event is an opportunity to honour that diversity, bring people together, and celebrate its importance.

“A person's mother language is the first language that they learn, and for many, it is the strongest connection that they have to their home, their identity, and their culture.”

‘My Mother Tongue: A celebration of community languages’ is a free event and open to the public. Register to attend using this form or turn up on the day.