In this article we highlight efforts in Mexico to promote linguistic diversity in Mexico given that Mother Language Day is commemorated on February 21. In recognition of Mother Languages as cultural treasures, the article also highlights the importance of promoting the value, respect and protection of linguistic diversity.
The terms Mother Tongue, Mother Language, Original Language and Indigenous Language are used interchangeably in this article.
We also highlight the importance of efforts in Mexico in promoting and revitalizing Mother Languages.
What is Mother Language Day?
Mother Language Day is commemorated every February 21, as an annual celebration proclaimed by UNESCO to highlight the importance of preserving and promoting linguistic diversity around the world.
UNESCO highlights the importance of mother tongues and local languages as a means of safeguarding indigenous cultures and knowledge and promoting linguistic diversity. Furthermore, UNESCO celebrates this day as an effort to protect the intangible heritage of humanity and preserve cultural diversity.
Origin of Mother Language Day
In 1999, the General Conference of UNESCO recognized the role played by the mother tongues in the development of creativity, communication skills and the development of concepts, as well as their role in constituting the first vector of cultural identity. UNESCO proclaimed the celebration of International Mother Language Day on February 21 with the aim of protecting and preserving the differences of cultures and languages. In addition, the UNESCO General Conference recommended measures in favor of multilingualism.
According to UNESCO, each language reflects a unique worldview and a complex culture that reflects the relationship of a community with the world, its philosophical system, and its understanding of the world around it.
Since then, UNESCO has warned that linguistic diversity is increasingly threatened as more and more languages disappear.
In its “Atlas of the World’s Endangered Languages”, it states that now more than ever, more and more languages are disappearing at an accelerated pace. It also notes that thousands of currently spoken languages are endangered, seriously threatened, and many others show signs of potential danger and risk of becoming extinct. UNESCO notes that with the disappearance of a language, an irreplaceable part of our knowledge of thought and vision of the world is lost forever.
UNESCO proposes that the international community take measures to protect these languages.
Thus, Mother Language Day is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of preserving and revitalizing indigenous languages, as well as promote their recognition and use.
What is a Mother Language?
A Mother Language is the language that an individual learns during their first years of life in the family environment.
The Mother Language is the original language, the first language that an individual acquires naturally. Each individual uses the Mother Language to communicate with family, community, and closest environment. The Mother Language plays a vital role in the cultural identity, cognitive and emotional development learning and social participation of an individual.
Celebrating Linguistic Diversity in Mexico
Notably, Mexico is extraordinarily rich in linguistic diversity. Mexico is one of ten nations with the greatest linguistic diversity in the world. It is also second in the number of living languages in the American continent. A number of indigenous languages are spoken in different regions of Mexico. These languages are a vital part of Mexico’s cultural heritage
Data from the Population and Housing 2020 Census of Mexico indicate that 6.1% of people over the age of three speak an indigenous language. That is about 7.5 million people. In Mexico, there are currently 68 Indigenous languages with 364 variants spoken, in addition to the Spanish language. It should be noted that many people learn an indigenous language first and then Spanish, hence the importance of recognizing these languages as Mother Tongues. Unfortunately, 60% of Mother Languages are at risk of disappearing in Mexico.
The states of Oaxaca, Yucatán and Chiapas are the states with the largest population of indigenous language speakers, all three accumulating 42.6 percent of the total number of speakers.
A few examples of original languages in Mexico include Nahuatl, Maya, Mixtec, Zapotec, Tzetzal, and Otomi. The main Indigenous languages spoken in Mexico are: Nahuatl, Maya, Tseltal, Mixtec, Tsotsil, Zapotec, Otomí, Totonaco, Chol and Mazatec. In 2020, data also indicated that the Mother Languages in Mexico with the largest number of speakers were Nahuatl (22.4%), Mayan (10.5%), Tzetzal (8.0%), Tzotzil (7.5%), Mixtec (7.2%), and Zapotec (6.7%).
The many original languages spoken in Mexico represent an invaluable part of cultural diversity in Mexico and contribute to its cultural richness.
Promoting Indigenous Mother Languages in Mexico
In Mexico, the use of the Mother Language is recognized by law. Mexican law states that under no circumstances should people be discriminated against by virtue of language, as the free use of a language is protected by human rights and enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
In 2020, an initiative was presented by the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI), focusing on the human rights of native speakers. The “Los Pinos Declaration (Chapoltepek)”- Making a Decade of Action for Indigenous Languages laid the foundations for guiding principles in order to revitalize, strengthen, develop, and promote Indigenous languages spoken in Mexico. The document was published and presented by the Government of Mexico and by UNESCO. Strategic actions were identified to ensure that speakers of indigenous languages in Mexico are recognized in the economic, political, social and cultural spheres, for the protection of cultural and linguistic heritage; and the creation of equal employment opportunities in and for indigenous languages.
Moreover, agreements were established with academic and research institutions to strengthen these initiatives, with the support of communities and organizations.
Achievements have also been made in multilingual education in Mexico. In coordination with official institutions, based on the Mother Language, there is a realization of efforts to revitalize, develop and strengthen Mother Tongues. Thus, entities in Mexico continue to work closely in educational, cultural and linguistic policies in order to promote and revitalize Mother Tongues.
In this vein, promoting Mother Languages in Mexico is also supported through the teaching of Indigenous Languages in schools and universities.
University of Indigenous Languages of Mexico (ULIM)
As part of the INPI initiative, the University of Indigenous Languages of Mexico (ULIM) was launched in Mexico City. The university specializes in the teaching, research, development, promotion and dissemination of indigenous languages. It provides higher education on the indigenous languages of Mexico in order to protect, revitalize and strengthen the linguistic and cultural heritage of indigenous peoples, and to contribute to the respect and recognition of the ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversity of Mexico. The university also uses digital media to reach indigenous communities throughout Mexico.
Purépecha Language Series
One such example is the teaching of the Purépecha language at the Intercultural Indigenous University of Michoacán (UIIM). To promote the learning of the Purépecha language, the university created a channel on the Youtube Platform; named Learn Purépecha Tutorial. Learn!
The channel consists of a series of tutorials in which the UIIM instructor teaches the Purépecha language. The concept is that students will be able to enter the Purépecha linguistic universe. In this manner, students are not only able to talk with community members, but also understand the culture and ascertain its importance.
Náhuatl Language Courses
Moreover, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City, offers general courses (four skills) for students, academic staff and the external community interested in learning the Náhuatl Indigenous language.
Furthermore, entities such as organizations and communities have created various venues in order to promote Mother Languages in Mexico.
Highlighted below are various endeavors in promoting Indigenous Mother Languages in Mexico.
Miyotl App
One such example of recognizing and preserving linguistic diversity in Mexico is the development of an application for mobile devices. A few years ago, students and teachers from the Autonomous University of Chapingo in Mexico developed the application to preserve and disseminate mother tongues. The application is called the Miyotl (Learn an Indigenous Language) App and allows learners to access between 15,000 and 20,000 words in 25 of the 68 indigenous languages spoken in Mexico. It was developed with the contribution of more than 100 native speakers.
One of the students, Emilio Álvarez Herrera, stated that “With languageswe can keep our culture alive and expand it to the whole world, we can learn a lot of knowledge and traditions.” “Language is life, communication, action, politics. It is important to preserve languages because they give us identity, they give us strength,” he said.
The first part of the Miyotl app is a dictionary with a repertoire of between 15,000 and 20,000 words. The second part is a section of general culture, where users can read texts on the customs of native peoples. The third part features a learning section.
Six people made up the original development team: Emilio Álvarez Herrera, Irrigation Engineering student and Nahuatl apprentice; Bonifacio Rodríguez Peralta, student of Agronomic Engineering and speaker of Tutunakú; Luis Ignacio Gómez Pérez, a tailor originally from Chiapas, Tzotzil speaker; and Isaac Antonio Cruz, an economics student, a Zapotec speaker.
Professors that are also a part of the team include: Verónica Bonilla Vázquez, a Nahuatl speaker, and Jesús Yohualli López Javier, representative of the Academy of Indigenous Languages of the Chapingo Autonomous University and a speaker of Nahuatl and Ngiba or Chocholteco. Professor Verónica Bonilla Vázquez learned one of the 39 variants of Nahuatl from her great-grandmother, who did not speak a word of Spanish.
(From left to right) Isaac Antonio Cruz, Luis Ignacio Gómez Pérez, Bonifacio Rodríguez Peralta, Verónica Bonilla Vázquez, Jesús Yohualli López Javier, and Emilio Álvarez Herrera, developers of the Miyotl app. Photo credit: CINU Mexico/Teresita Moreno
68 Voices, 68 Hearts Project
Another example of the promotion of Mother Languages in Mexico is a project called the “68 Voices, 68 Hearts”. The intent of the project is to promote respect and pride in the use of the 68 indigenous language groups in Mexico. It is a non-profit project that presents an animated series of traditional stories narrated in each of the languages.
The project was initiated prior to 2019, by creator and director Gabriela Badillo, who strives for making known the ethnic-linguistic cultural richness and great diversity in Mexico, via the series of animated stories.
The first seven stories were produced by the Hola Combo animation studio. Then, through the support of the National Institute of Indigenous Languages (INALI) and the Mexican television channel Canal Once, the series continued, and the project began to expand.
This made it possible to generate more stories, and the project became a joint project with the indigenous community. The project works with the older adults of indigenous communities in Mexico, who are the main bearers of wisdom and knowledge. In working with the indigenous communities, the way the stories were produced, changed and enriched the series.
So far, more than 35 stories have been completed. As the project continues to add to its content, different forums become available.
The animations, which last just over a minute each, are presented at festivals, in schools and museums, at community events, and Mexican consulates abroad. The public television channel, Canal Once, also randomly projects the animations.
Summary
In summary, as Mother Languages now face the risk of disappearing due to a lack of support and recognition; it is essential to promote linguistic diversity and linguistic revitalization. In Mexico, there are various programs and initiatives that support and encourage the use and preservation of Indigenous Languages.
This February 21, Mother Language Day, gives us the opportunity to reflect on and promote the importance of mother tongues and their role. We invite you to celebrate Mother Language Day and participate in activities that promote respect and appreciation of all languages.
Let’s celebrate and promote linguistic diversity!
We invite you to learn more about the promotion of linguistic diversity in Mexico.
3 Key Actions to Save Mexico’s Indigenous Languages – Más de México
68 Voices, 68 Hearts Project 68 VOCES
Miyotl app Miyotl
68 Voices, 68 Hearts Project 68 VOCES
Interested in learning Náhuatl?
- Learn Nahuatl app for Android (two learning modalities: classic and modern Nahuatl)
- Náhuatl Language Courses National School of Languages, Linguistics and Translation
- National Museum of Cultures in the Historic Center of Mexico City.
- Centro Cultural Macario Matus.
- Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo Intensive Nahuatl – Center for Continuing and Distance Education :: UAEH
- The University of Texas Nāhuatlahtolli – A Beginner to Advanced Level Nahuatl Online Course
- Altepepialcalli Regional Museum in Milpa Alta.
Learn Indigenous Languages applications
Learn Chinanteco Aprende Chinanteco (Usila-Ojit for Android – Free App Download
Learn Otomí de Michoacán Aprende Otomí APK for Android Download
Ñomndaa Vocabulary Download Vocabulario Ñomndaa (amuzgo) Latest Version 1.0 Android APK File
Stickers in the Mazahua language for WhatsApp Stickers en lengua mazahua para WhatsApp 1.0 APK | AndroidAppsAPK.co available for free
Stickers in the Yaqui language for WhatsApp Stickers en lengua yaqui para APK for Android Download
Author: AllMexico.store
References
Learning indigenous languages, fundamental to understanding other cultures – Ciencia UNAM
University of Indigenous Languages of Mexico (ULIM) University of Indigenous Languages of Mexico “ULIM”
Purépecha Language Series Aprende Purépecha Tutorial Parte 1
Did You Know?
In the state of Mexico, five native languages remain in force, Mazahua, Otomi, Nahua, Matlatzinca, and Tlahuica, in addition to migrant indigenous languages, such as Mixtec, Mazatec, Zapotec, Totonac, and Mixe.
