In March, Dr. Kavita Rastogi, President, Society for Endangered and Lesser-Known Languages (SEL), conducted two Mother Tongue Awareness Workshops for officials of the Power Grid Corporation of India and the Food Corporation of India. The workshops focused on the importance of the mother tongue in preserving linguistic and cultural identity. Dr. Rastogi discussed the major markers of language identity, including the number of speakers, intergenerational transmission, attitudes towards the mother tongue, domains of use, educational resources, and documentation.
To make the sessions interactive and encourage participants to reflect on their own linguistic experiences, an engaging activity was conducted to elicit their views on language, identity and the role of the mother tongue in everyday life. The workshops generated meaningful discussion and helped participants appreciate the close relationship between language, identity and cultural heritage.