Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

International Mother Language Day — [Sir Edward Leigh in the Chair]

01 March 2022 · 9 other contributors · 11,802 words

Opened by Apsana Begum Lab Poplar and Limehouse

Responding minister: Vicky Ford

ImmigrationEducationReligion & Faith

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Apsana Begum raised concerns about international mother language day — [sir edward leigh in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about anti-immigration rhetoric and its impact on minority language speakers during the pandemic.
  • Urges government to provide free community language services and support multilingual education using technology.
  • Minister acknowledges government investments in devices and platforms for disadvantaged students during the pandemic.

Key requests to Government

I urge the government to recognise the importance of free at-the-point-of-use local and public provision of community language services. I also ask for a commitment to multilingual education based on people's mother tongues and support for technology in advancing this goal, as well as fast, reliable broadband access.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Apsana Begum Lab Poplar and Limehouse

I am concerned about the growing trend of anti-immigration rhetoric that legitimises racist attitudes and exacerbates social marginalisation. I worry about how language can be used as a tool to construct certain people as 'the other' and force them to assimilate, leading to restrictions on minority languages. The pandemic exposed significant barriers for minority language speakers in accessing crucial information like vaccine roll-out details, disproportionately affecting black, Asian and minority ethnic communities who face greater risks and hardships.

Other contributors (9)
  • Alex Davies-Jones Lab Pontypridd

    Welsh is undergoing a resurgence, with a 44% increase in learners during lockdown. The Welsh Government's commitment to the language includes opening new Welsh-medium schools and supporting adult learners with an extra £1.2 million.

  • Angus MacNeil SNP Na h-Eileanan an Iar

    MacNeil congratulated the hon. Member for Poplar and Limehouse on securing the debate, praised the diverse linguistic environment of Tower Hamlets, and encouraged MPs to learn languages through Parliament's lessons. He emphasised the importance of multilingualism in fostering cross-cultural understanding and highlighted his own experience teaching Scottish Gaelic to young children.

  • Beth Winter PC Meirionnydd Nant Conwy

    Welsh language is vital to identity, and its survival has faced many challenges including the 'Welsh not' practice in schools. Despite this, Welsh has a rich cultural heritage, with around 30% of Wales speaking it daily. Thanks to initiatives like 'Cymraeg 2050', there is progress towards a million Welsh speakers by 2050.

  • Fabian Hamilton Lab Leeds North East

    Hamilton highlighted the importance of language in education, emphasizing that 40% of the world's population does not have access to an education in a language they understand. He cited examples from Côte d'Ivoire where students who spoke French at home were significantly better at learning than those who did not. Hamilton also raised concerns about governments repressing linguistic freedom, particularly mentioning Tibet and Xinjiang under Chinese rule. He called on the Minister to provide details of actions taken by the UK Government to coordinate an international response to such repression.

  • Florence Eshalomi Lab Co-op Vauxhall and Camberwell Green

    The MP highlighted the multilingual nature of her constituency, Vauxhall, which thrives due to its diverse communities from Portugal, Nigeria, Ghana, Italy, Ecuador, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. She noted that over 50 languages are spoken in local schools and celebrated how this diversity fosters tolerance and business growth while emphasising the importance of celebrating mother tongues on International Mother Language Day.

  • Hywel Williams PC Arfon

    Asked Members on the Government side if having a curry with chutney and lager is English, arguing that it represents the mix of languages contributing to Welsh and English. Welsh languages and multilingualism are central to national identity, with Wales leading in understanding bilingualism and its complexities. The Welsh Language Act has limitations and needs reforming. Bilingual juries could improve justice but face practical challenges. More languages should be recognized and supported legally beyond the current framework.

  • Mark Logan Con Bolton North East

    I am proud of being an English-speaking MP from Northern Ireland who also speaks Mandarin Chinese with his daughter at home. I spent over 14,000 hours learning Mandarin and read about 4,000 Chinese characters, improving my cognitive abilities. Learning languages can be politicised but it is important to embrace different cultures and opportunities. My constituency has a large Gujarati Muslim community, seen as an advantage with the promising future of south Asia. I have also received advice on learning Urdu and praised the Ukrainian diaspora in Bolton.

  • Navendu Mishra Lab Stockport

    Praised his hon. Friend's speech and highlighted that Hindi, spoken by over 341 million people, is a significant language in the world. He expressed concern about the persecution of Tibetan speakers in China. Hindi and Urdu are similar when spoken but differ in writing, encouraging others to learn either language.

  • Rachel Hopkins Lab Luton South and South Bedfordshire

    She highlighted the importance of languages in advancing inclusion and cohesion, mentioning over 100 languages spoken in Luton. She noted that funding cuts due to austerity have impacted local groups supporting language learning, such as ESOL lessons which saw a real-terms cut of nearly 60%. She also emphasised the role of community initiatives like heritage history projects and supplementary schools for intergenerational communication. The MP briefly mentioned a humorous anecdote about a mistake made by an international figure regarding the French language, specifically pointing out that there is no word in French for entrepreneur.

Government Response

Vicky Ford

It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Edward. I thank the hon. Member for Poplar and Limehouse and all other speakers. The Government have invested significantly in devices and platforms for disadvantaged students during the pandemic. They are committed to ensuring quality education for all, particularly girls, with targets set to get 40 million more girls in school and 20 million more learning by 2026. Despite challenges due to school closures, the initiative is urgent. The Department has launched a Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel report providing practical recommendations for global learning recovery, which will be followed by events in Bangladesh, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, and India. The UK remains committed to linguistic diversity across the UK, including Cornish, Manx Gaelic, Scots Gaelic, Scots, Ulster Scots, Irish, and Welsh. In Wales, there are over 300 languages spoken in schools, with Welsh being protected by law since 2011. The Government support the aim of achieving one million Welsh speakers by 2050. The Minister also acknowledged concerns about Tibet and the situation in Ukraine, calling for Putin to remove his troops and stop violence.

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