Language reflects the culture of every people and the way they live. But have you ever wondered — where did languages even come from? And why are they so different?
There’s an old legend that says everyone once spoke the same language. But during the construction of the Tower of Babel, people began to argue. As punishment, God made it so they could no longer understand one another — and that’s how languages were born.
Whether that’s true or not, we do know this: languages developed based on geography, lifestyle, and history.
🌍 There Are 8 Major Language Families in the World:
- Indo-European
- Afroasiatic (Semitic-Hamitic)
- Caucasian
- Turkic
- Austronesian
- Finno-Ugric
- Sino-Tibetan
- Papuan
And yes — even today, new languages are being created! For example, Interslavic (a mix of Slavic languages) has only been around for 20–30 years. Language reflects culture and diversity — and that’s exactly why International Mother Language Day was created.
When Is International Mother Language Day?
In 2000, the UN declared February 21 as International Mother Language Day. The date honors those who died in the fight to make Bengali the official language of Bangladesh. The UN also celebrates its six official languages with their own special days:
- Arabic Language Day — December 18
- French Language Day — March 20
- Chinese Language Day — April 20
- English and Spanish Language Day — April 23
- Russian Language Day — June 6
Why Should We Learn and Keep Our Native Language?
Even if you live abroad, your native language matters. It’s your roots — and roots should never be forgotten.
Kids growing up in a different country may learn many languages… and gradually forget Russian. Especially if they don’t have anyone to practice with regularly — or if they were born abroad and never learned Russian at all.
This is especially true for bilingual kids. Their minds are already juggling multiple languages — and Russian might get pushed aside.
International Mother Language Day already passed this year, but don’t forget to celebrate it next time! ⠀
Read Russian books, both on your own and with your kids. Russian is the language of literary giants. It’s a treasure worth preserving — and constantly improving.
How to Keep Russian Alive at Home? The key is simple: practice. Speak it at home, even just a little. Watch cartoons and movies in Russian. Play games. Read together. Or — sign up for online Russian classes for kids at Palme School!
We know how important it is to preserve Russian in a child’s life. Our lessons are fun and interactive, so kids enjoy learning — and see real results. Learn more about our school and pricing here.
