Heritage Language Blog ~ by HL Global Think Tank and FOHLC Europe

By Renata Emilsson Peskova Each year on February 21, people around the world celebrate International Mother Language Day (IMLD), in memory of the fight of Bengali people for the recognition of their mother tongue Bangla in 1952. In 2026, IMLD symbolizes the fight for maintaining and encouraging linguistic diversity, closely linked to access to education in a language that children speak or understand (UNESCO, n.d.). This blog post aims to help inform parents and educators, to help them understand the linguistic human rights of children. A better understanding of linguistic rights may help decisions to be made that make schools and communities more welcoming and supportive of heritage languages – and multilingualism at large. Group picture from the FOHLC Café about linguistic rights on February 5, 2026. In honour of IMLD 2026, the Forum of Heritage Language Coalitions (FOHLC Europe) organized a FOHLC Café on February 5 to reflect on the concept of linguistic human rights. It was attend...

When the Global Call to Action for Heritage Language Education  was launched in February 2024, it laid a comprehensive roadmap for protecting and promoting linguistic diversity. But maybe you were left wondering:  What can I personally do to help? Now, we’ve made it easier than ever to take action with a handy checklist. This simple guide breaks down some practical steps you can take to support heritage language education in your community. What you can do will depend on your role -- heritage language learner, parent, teacher, journalist, policymaker, etc. -- but we've got everyone covered! Download the checklist below and start making an impact today! Download a pdf By HLE Network