This year, Monday (21/02) is International Mother Language Day with the theme “Using Technology for Multilingual Learning: Challenges and Opportunities”.
This is in line with the declaration of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) to promote indigenous languages annually during February. In South Africa, it is Language Activism Month, aimed at the promotion of the use of mother tongue to elevate the status of indigenous languages to languages of access to education and socio-economic opportunity.
The public is encouraged to organise and participate in activities on International Mother Language Day. To bolster this initiative, the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB), together with the SABC, launched 28 days of language activism and the standardised South African Sign Language (SASL) version of the national anthem.
The standardisation of the anthem is aimed at ensuring that there is a common way to sign the national anthem, to advance social cohesion and accelerate the recognition of SASL as the country’s 12th official language.
While this version may be largely for the inclusion of the deaf community in finding expression in the national identity, the public is encouraged to learn the anthem in SASL.
Lance Schultz, PanSALB chief executive officer, has described this as a nation-building exercise.
“We view this as a potential contributor towards bridging the gap between the speech communities and the deaf community.
“This can be achieved by the teaching of the national anthem in SASL in our schools and all sectors of society.
“Both the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and the Department of Basic Education shall ensure that the national anthem in Sign Language is communicated to every citizen and learner.”
