Listening to linguistic roots

Globally, around 40% of people lack access to education in a language they fully understand. In some low- and middle-income countries, that figure reaches 90%, affecting more than 250 million learners.  Within this scenario, preserving heritage languages sustains cultural identity and intergenerational ties, counters global language loss and has the potential to create more just and equal societies.  

South Tyrol provides a distinctive European context, where multilingualism is protected, promoted and even celebrated – when it concerns the three institutionally recognized languages: German, Italian and Ladin. So-called heritage languages continue, however, to be marginalized.

Let’s start by looking at the history and why International Mother Tongue Day was established.

Guarda Marta: The origins date back to the 1950s, after Pakistan was established. At the time, there was West Pakistan – what is now Pakistan – and East Pakistan, which is now Bangladesh. A strong movement emerged in response to the imposition of Urdu in what is now Bangladesh, over Bengali, which was actually the language of the majority of the population. There were protests by students and citizens against Urdu being imposed as the sole official language in education, administration, and public life. During these protests, several people were killed by military forces on 21 February, 1952. This movement was not only about language, but also about identity and linguistic endangerment. What happened on 21 February resonated deeply, and eventually UNESCO approved an initiative proposed by Bangladesh to establish International Mother Language Day in honor of those who were killed while defending linguistic diversity and linguistic rights. It was a cultural and political struggle that was recognized by UNESCO in 1999, and from February 21st, 2000, onward, the day has been celebrated worldwide.

UNESCO emphasizes that many people around the world have their linguistic and identity rights misrecognized. Many children speak one or more languages at home and encounter a completely different language at school, which raises serious concerns about equity in education.  International Mother Language Day exists to highlight that many people do not have the right to use their language or access education in their first language–or “mother tongue,” as UNESCO calls it.

As an anthropologist, Johanna, what can you add about the necessity of preserving linguistic biodiversity?

Mitterhofer Johanna: My research generally focuses on migration and increasing diversity in societies. In that context, language and culture – and the ability to live, express, and learn the languages spoken at home also outside the home – are central to identity and belonging. If a child with Pakistani parents, for example, can use Urdu in public without being discriminated against, they are more likely to feel at ease and included. Language is more than communication; it’s about identity, belonging, and inclusion or exclusion. My research looks at these dynamics in contexts that claim to be multilingual and inclusive, but where only certain languages are truly valued. Often, its only official state languages that are protected and promoted. In South Tyrol, for example, Italian and German dominate, while Ladin – despite being an official language – is frequently overlooked. This already reveals a hierarchy. Then there are foreign languages taught in schools, such as English, French, or Spanish, which are considered valuable resources for the economy Finally, there are the so-called heritage languages – languages associated with more recent migration such as Albanian, Urdu, Arabic, or Chinese, which are often marginalized or discriminated against. A child who speaks English at home may be praised for, and encouraged in, their multilingualism, while a child who speaks Urdu may not be.

So, these hierarchies shape who feels entitled to use and share their linguistic heritage?

Guarda Marta: Marginalizing first languages creates hierarchies that affect identity, cultural transmission, and social networks. Younger speakers risk losing their languages and disconnecting from their communities. One particularly harmful effect is the promotion of a deficit view of speakers whose languages are not part of the school system. Children who speak languages like Urdu or Albanian are often positioned as lacking competence, rather than as competent and developing plurilingual speakers. Without institutional guidelines and proper teacher training, these competencies are frequently misrecognized or ignored. This perspective of deficiency prevents students from demonstrating what they can actually do with language.  

Language underpins everything from education and vocational training to professional, social and cultural life. When children are viewed through a deficit lens, their opportunities are limited. If parents from non-dominant language communities are advised to stop speaking their home language with their children, claiming bilingualism causes confusion, this advice has long-term negative effects on identity, competence, and self-worth. Ultimately, it sends a message to children that their family’s language –and by extension their heritage – is worthless.

How do you evaluate these effects, particularly in schools?

Mitterhofer Johanna: One project we were part of examined how young people with migrant backgrounds experience the transition from school to the job market. While not focused primarily on language, linguistic hierarchies clearly emerged. Some young people recognized language-related discrimination in school but later reclaimed their home languages as resources – for example, planning careers where Arabic or Urdu and transnational networks could be valuable. Others, however, experienced exclusion despite being fluent in multiple – including the local – languages. A young woman wearing a headscarf, fluent in German dialect and Italian, still faced discrimination. This shows that integration benchmarks constantly shift; even linguistic competence does not guarantee inclusion. In a newly launched project, the VOICES project, we will focus explicitly on heritage language education in South Tyrol and Switzerland. We will interview and collaboratively work with teachers, parents, students, policymakers, and educational experts to understand how heritage languages are positioned institutionally and politically, and how they are experienced by those who teach or attend heritage language courses. The goal is to shift from a deficit-based to a resource-oriented view of heritage languages and to explore if and how they can become catalysts for increased social cohesion.

How is linguistic diversity evolving in South Tyrol?

Guarda Marta: South Tyrol is a very specific context with a complex history of linguistic dominance and minority protection. Models from other countries cannot simply be replicated. Each context requires situated solutions, and South Tyrol must address its own sociolinguistic reality, where migration is still not widely recognized as part of regional identity-building. Projects like VOICES and One School, Many Languages, aim to broaden awareness that linguistic diversity is increasing and that, indeed, it is already part of our society. Together with colleagues from the Center for Autonomy Experience and the Institute for Minority Rights of Eurac Research, we are also organizing the International Conference for Minority Languages in 2027, which will explicitly include minoritized and indigenous languages. UNESCO’s Decade of Indigenous Languages has given further momentum to this work, reminding us that many languages –  autochthonous, but also those of more recently settled communities – are at risk and deserve recognition and support.