International Mother Language Day

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. M. El Dannawi:

That this council—

1. Acknowledges that International Mother Language Day is celebrated annually on 21 February.

2. Notes that International Mother Language Day aims to:

(a) celebrate linguistic diversity;

(b) promote the protection of linguistic rights as fundamental/universal human rights;

(c) emphasise the importance of multilingualism; and

(d) bring awareness to languages at risk of disappearance.

3. Recognises that language is an essential part of cultural identity, expression and wellbeing in a multicultural society.

4. Understands that language maintenance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is a platform for empowerment and intergenerational cultural sharing.

5. Expresses its commitment to encourage multilingual education in South Australia, particularly through the state government's $4 million commitment to community language schools, as a means of enriching our society and inspiring understanding, belonging and dialogue as well as socioeconomic mobility.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (17:08): 

I rise today to fully support the Hon. Mira El Dannawi's motion to recognise International Mother Language Day and the importance of mother languages in our multicultural society. As a first-generation Australian with a rich multicultural background, I recognise first hand the value of language in shaping the cultural identity, expression and wellbeing of our diverse multicultural community.

Looking across the chamber of the upper house of this parliament, it is wonderful to acknowledge there are a number of members of parliament here who can speak other languages in addition to English. I recall in 2010, when I was first elected, I believe the Hon. Carmel Zollo and I were the only two MLCs who communicated frequently with our family and friends in a language other than English.

After that, when the Hon. Tung Ngo was elected in 2014, he added the Vietnamese language to the mix. Then in 2018, the Hon. Frank Pangallo, the Hon. Connie Bonaros and the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos were elected, adding the Italian and Greek languages to the benches. Later on in 2023, we welcomed the Hon. Mira El Dannawi, who replaced the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos upon her retirement.

I understand that there are other members in this chamber who may know other languages but not use those languages on a daily basis. I am sure they are just as proud as I am of the way that we recognise the value of cultural diversity and the richness that every language brings to our vibrant, multicultural state of South Australia.

International Mother Language Day has been celebrated each year on 21 February since it was first proclaimed by UNESCO and later adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1999. This year marked the 25th anniversary of International Mother Language Day with the theme, the silver jubilee celebration, marking a quarter of a century of efforts to protect linguistic diversity.

With approximately 8,324 languages in the world today, many are at risk of disappearing due to globalisation and societal changes. Out of this, around 7,000 languages are still in use while only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in education systems and the public domain. Less than 100 are used in the digital world. Globally, 40 per cent of the population have access to education in the language they speak or understand.

While progress is being made in multilingual education, this figure shows the obstacles that we still face globally in preserving languages, and this makes us ask the important question of how we can do better to achieve equitable access to education and lifelong learning opportunities for all individuals. Multilingual and multicultural societies exist through their languages, which transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures in a sustainable way. When languages fade, so does the world's rich tapestry of cultural diversity, including traditions, memories and unique modes of thinking and expression.

South Australia has been for a long time a state which actively promotes and supports linguistic diversity. From the previous Census data, 19 per cent of South Australian households and over 320,000 people spoke a language other than English at home, a figure which grows each year. Of these languages, Mandarin, Italian, Greek, Vietnamese and Punjabi ranked as the most spoken non-English languages in South Australia. Encouragingly, the number of speakers of Australian Indigenous languages grew by over 30 per cent from 2016 to 2022, making it one of the fastest growing languages spoken in South Australia. Other fast-growing languages include Urdu, Sinhalese, Hindi and other South Asian and South-East Asian languages.

Taking strong leadership to preserve languages in our multilingual state are community language schools, represented by Community Language Schools SA (CLSSA). CLSSA currently represents 10,400 students across 93 schools which teach 48 different languages. CLSSA also works with 1,500 volunteers who work relentlessly, passionately and diligently after hours and on weekends to support language classes. I know many of them through my representation in multicultural communities. Many of them have become really close friends. I really cherish their work and I want to commend them for their fantastic efforts.

I once again want to acknowledge the mover for bringing this particular motion about International Mother Language Day to parliament today. With those remarks, I commend the motion.