Learning a new language does not weaken the mother tongue: CA Yunus

On International Mother Language Day, the chief advisor stresses the importance of preserving all mother tongues

Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has dismissed the notion that learning a new language weakens one's proficiency in their mother tongue, calling it “baseless”.

Speaking at the International Mother Language Institute event on Friday, he said: “There is no foundation to the belief that learning a new language diminishes one’s grasp of their mother tongue. In many countries, it is common for individuals to be fluent in multiple languages.

“They are exposed to different languages from childhood. In schools, learning at least one additional language is often mandatory,” he said.

The event was organised to mark Martyrs’ Day and International Mother Language Day.

The chief advisor presented the International Mother Language Award to three individuals and institutions at the event.

Yunus highlighted how people in almost every country acquire citizenship in different nations and live there for generations.

“The language of their new country becomes their primary language for daily life, yet it does not replace their mother tongue.

“When they gather among themselves, they instinctively return to their original language, recreating its cultural environment without even realising it,” he said.

The chief advisor also said, “In cities where their linguistic community is large, they can easily elect mayors and city councillors by virtue of their majority. In these cities, they establish their mother tongue without hesitation.

“But as soon as they leave the city, they seamlessly switch back to the dominant language. This dynamic does not create resentment among the older inhabitants of the city.”

Yunus emphasised the importance of preserving all mother tongues, saying: “On this International Mother Language Day, we make a solemn pledge to protect every mother tongue. While emotions play a role in this commitment, there is also a significant practical interest.

“We do not yet know which unknown, nameless mother tongue might change the world entirely. Ignoring any linguistic possibility would be a grave mistake.”

He also underscored the role of the Language Movement in shaping the nation's history, saying: “The Language Movement was crucial in our struggle for liberation. It laid the foundation for a secular, democratic, and language-based national identity and state structure.

“February 21, 1952, is not merely a day to remember a painful past and shed tears. It serves as an eternal source of inspiration, a call to stand against all forms of injustice, oppression, and conspiracy.”