International Mother Language Day was celebrated at the George Walcott Lecture Theater at the University of Guyana on the 21st of February 2023. The event was organized by the Department of Language and Cultural Studies at the University of Guyana. It was attended by many participants, including students, faculty members and special guests. The theme of the event was ‘Multilingual Education: A Necessity to Transform Education’.
Greetings in various languages were featured in the “Love Letter to Our Languages” video presentation. The event also included a number of activities such as a keynote address by Dr. Imhoff and a discussion by experts in the field. The keynote address emphasized the importance of making Guyanese Creole an official language in Guyana. Dr. Imhoff discussed the need for greater access to multilingual education in order to ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn in their native language and to benefit from the advantages of multilingual education. She also highlighted the various challenges faced by multilingual education systems and the need for greater collaboration between stakeholders in order to ensure their success.
The event also featured a musical interlude with Indigenous performers. This was followed by a “Translators’ Appeal to the Vice Chancellor” by the Guyanese Languages Unit and Amerindian Research Unit. The Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Paloma Mohamed, responded to the appeal and reaffirmed the university’s commitment to the cause of multilingual education.
The audience responded well to the programme, which offered insightful information about the value of multilingual education. The event was a huge success and played a crucial role in spreading knowledge about the role of multilingual education in transforming education and preserving our culture.
This blog was written as part of an assignment for Use of English, a module within the Department of Foundation and Education Management at the University of Guyana.
The Guyanese Languages Unit 