Why mother language matters in Guyana

Feb 20, 2026 Letters

Dear Editor,

On Saturday, 21 February 2026, the world will observe International Mother Language Day, under the theme “Youth voices on multilingual education” (UNESCO). A reminder that languages are not merely tools for communication, but vessels of memory, identity, and worldview. In Guyana — a nation proudly known as the Land of Six Peoples — this observance carries special weight.

We are a multilingual society shaped by Indigenous, African, Indian, European, Chinese and Portuguese heritage. Yet while we celebrate this diversity in festivals, food and fashion, we often neglect the very foundation of culture: mother language.

For Indigenous communities in Regions 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9, languages such as Macushi, Wapichan, Akawaio, Patamona, Wai Wai and Lokono are more than spoken words. They encode ecological knowledge of the rainforest and savannah, traditional governance systems, spiritual beliefs, oral histories and ancestral laws. When a language weakens, so too does the knowledge system it carries.

Mother language is the first language a child hears. It shapes thought, confidence and identity. Research consistently shows that children learn best when they begin education in their mother tongue. When a child is forced to abandon their first language at the school gate, learning becomes alienating rather than empowering. In contrast, bilingual and multilingual education strengthens cognitive development and preserves cultural continuity.

In Guyana, we have made strides in recognising Indigenous heritage in education, yet language preservation requires urgent and deliberate action. Many of our Indigenous languages are vulnerable. Elders who are fluent speakers are passing on, and younger generations — influenced by migration, media and urbanisation — are shifting toward modernity and English dominance.

Language loss is not just about vocabulary disappearing. It is about losing ways of seeing the world. For example, Indigenous languages often contain precise terms for plants, animals and ecological cycles that have no direct English equivalent. These are invaluable in a country that positions itself as a global leader in forest conservation and climate action. Protecting Indigenous languages is therefore also protecting Guyana’s environmental wisdom.

But this issue is not confined to Indigenous communities alone. Across Guyana, we must value the linguistic richness in our Creolese expressions, in the Hindi and Urdu words preserved in Indo-Guyanese communities, and in the remnants of Portuguese and Chinese heritage languages. Every language spoken here tells a story of survival, adaptation and contribution.

If we are serious about building a cohesive, inclusive Guyana, then language policy must reflect that commitment. We need:

Stronger support for mother tongue-based bilingual education.
Training and employment of Indigenous language teachers.
Documentation and digital archiving of vulnerable languages.
Community-led language revitalisation initiatives.
National recognition that multilingualism is an asset, not a barrier.

Preserving mother languages is not about dividing the nation; it is about strengthening it. Unity does not require uniformity. True national unity respects and uplifts the voices of all its peoples.

As we reflect on International Mother Language Day, let us move beyond symbolic celebration. Let us invest in practical measures that ensure our children and youth can speak, learn, dream and lead in the languages of their ancestors — alongside English, not instead of it.

A language dies when it is no longer spoken. But it lives when it is taught, valued and heard in homes, schools and public spaces.

Guyana’s future must be multilingual — because our past certainly is.

Happy International Mother Language Day!

Yours faithfully,

Medino Abraham MSc

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