Council to host online event to celebrate International Mother Language Day
4th February 2022
Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has organised an interactive online event on Multilingualism on Wednesday 23 February 2022 to celebrate International Mother Language Day.
The talk which will be delivered by noted linguistics expert, Dr Francesca La Morgia, will explore topics as diverse as personal and societal value of multilingualism, fostering multilingualism through the use of mother tongues and home languages and encouraging the learning of languages, language as part of identity and culture, multilingualism as an indicator for cultural diversity, and promoting linguistic diversity.
Speaking about the event, the Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Errol Thompson, said;
“Research has shown that speaking another language is not only beneficial from a personal and professional perspective, it is also a sign of healthy, prosperous, enriched society and I would encourage the development of a multilingual approach. Fermanagh and Omagh District Council is committed to making all residents of the district feel valued and welcome and I am delighted that work is currently under way to produce a Linguistic Diversity Policy and develop interpreting services provision as evidence of that commitment. I would encourage you to avail of this opportunity to discover more about the undoubted benefits of multilingualism.”
It is widely accepted that it is not always straightforward to foster multilingual skills. Parents can find it difficult to find the best way forward to raise bilingual children, particularly if they are the only speaker of the language in the house or if they are struggling to navigate their way round the English language, which in itself poses a significant challenge for those who do not have English as their mother tongue.
In this interactive talk, our keynote speaker Dr Francesca La Morgia and guest speakers will discuss the value of multilingualism, focusing on the strategies used to raise and educate bilingual children and share experiences to inspire everyone to make the most of multilingualism. The discussion will also focus on how everyone in our society can make a positive contribution to the fostering of multilingualism by respecting and valuing linguistic diversity in their day to day interactions.
To book a place on the online discussion, please email the Council’s Good Relations service at goodrelations@fermanaghomagh.com or telephone 0300 303 1777.
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