Int'l Mother Language Day - Save the Date

On Monday, February 23 Eastern will celebrate International Mother Language Day (IMLD), a day designated by UNESCO to celebrate linguistic and cultural diversity around the world. 

The World Languages and Cultures Department along with the Intercultural Center and faculty from across the University is hosting a special event to celebrate International Mother Language Day in the Student Center Café on Monday, February 23 from 12:00 pm – 2:30 pm. 

This event will feature a continuous screening of award-winning short films from across world cinema.  From comedy and animation to horror and drama, the film line-up includes all genres of films, as well as works from nearly every continent and language family.  The nature of short films –the films are generally 5-10 minutes long – make it ideal for anyone to drop-in and catch a quick glimpse of stories and sounds from other places and people. 

In addition to international short films, students, staff and faculty will be able to engage with and learn about different languages with interactive activities at the IMLD event.  There will be international snacks to sample, a photo both with word bubbles to play with, simple games with a variety of alphabets, scripts and characters to enjoy, as well as inspirational stickers in various languages and prizes to win.  All of these activities are made possible by the Office of Equity and Diversity.  

Leading up to the February 23 event, the World Languages and Cultures Department is launching a Scavenger Hunt of Languages on February 17.  Thanks to the suggestions of faculty and staff that know our campus well, students will race around campus finding and learning about the various of languages represented in our campus community.  There are 12 find-spots in total.  Students that find all 12 find-spots and share their finds on Instagram will be eligible to win a prize.  Prize winners will be drawn at random at the IMLD event on February 23.  Check out the World Languages and Culture Department’s Highlights page for more information about the Scavenger Hunt of Languages. 

In addition to all the activities at the Student Center Café, Chartwells will be serving an international lunch menu at Hurley Hall on February 23.  Some of the delicious dishes available include potato and cauliflower samosas, chicken and eggplant paprikash, a cold sesame noodle salad, and pulled pork poutine.  Yum!

The entire Eastern community is welcome to join us in celebrating International Mother Language Day on February 23.  For more information, contact WorldLanguages@EasternCT.edu. 

Artwork for Eastern's International Mother Language Day post was created by Eastern alumna, Maria Arredondo '25.