"International Mother Language Day" of UNESCO

Time
Tuesday, 21. February 2023

Location

Organizer

Speaker:

Every two weeks, one of the world's estimated 7,000 languages becomes extinct. It is estimated that only about half of our current languages will still be spoken in the coming century. When UNESCO's "International Mother Language Day" is celebrated on 21 February, another language is about to die.

What does it mean for a language minority to lose their language? In a study, researchers from the Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality" at the University of Konstanz show clear correlations with discrimination. Speakers of minority languages worldwide experience disadvantages in society, education and work – especially when they speak their language in public.

Endangered languages and discrimination