Language, belonging, and being understood.
A Mexico City workshop held 19–21 October brought Mexican and Canadian participants together to exchange language revitalization experiences. UNESCO’s 27 October account emphasizes Indigenous leadership; an exchange is not evidence that language loss has been reversed.
A UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning account published 5 October 2026 described literacy work in Mexico through community, workplace and language-focused initiatives. It reported a national literacy rate of 96 per cent and attributed language-coverage figures to Mexico’s adult education institute.
For the 23 September observance, the UN names “Declaring Deaf People’s Human Rights” as the 2026 theme. The day also marks 75 years of the World Federation of the Deaf and 20 years since the CRPD’s adoption.
ASL and BSL are separate sign languages, not regional versions of one universal system. Their signs and structures differ, so learning one does not automatically let you understand the other; choose the language used by the community you want to communicate with.
Bilingual usually describes using two languages; multilingual describes using more than two, though everyday and institutional definitions vary. The useful question is how a person uses each language across settings, relationships and tasks.
Sign languages can be central to Deaf cultural life, identity, and community, but Deaf people are not a single uniform group. Learn the language and local conventions while letting individuals describe their own preferences and identities.
Heritage language learning is the work of building a relationship with a language connected to family or community, whether you already understand it or are beginning as an adult. Start with a personal goal, then create recurring, respectful chances to listen and participate.
Home language describes a language used in family life; school language describes the language or languages used for instruction and classroom work. They may overlap, and supporting one does not require abandoning the other.
Confidence speaking another language grows from having a clear purpose, a manageable first step, and ways to handle misunderstanding. Use a prepared opening and repair phrase to make one real conversation easier to enter.
A language exchange event pairs people who want meaningful practice, with enough structure to make participation fair. Agree on languages, time, goals, and correction preferences before conversation begins.
Keep a heritage language alive by creating regular, meaningful chances to use it across generations and settings. Listening, conversation, reading, and community participation each help make it part of everyday life.
A multilingual home library works best when it reflects the languages people actually use, the kinds of stories they enjoy, and the reading abilities in the household. Mix books, audio, and shared reading rather than measuring success by shelf size.
Make meetings accessible by asking participants what they need, arranging communication in their preferred language, and designing the room and turn-taking for visual access. Share materials early and check afterward what should improve.
Organize a language cafe around a clear welcome, small-group conversation, and practical access needs. Give participants a choice of language and topic, set a gentle structure, and make listening or observing legitimate ways to join.
Raise a bilingual child by making both languages part of meaningful, regular interaction: conversation, stories, play and relationships. Choose a routine your family can sustain, invite the child to respond, and let practice matter more than perfect performance.
Support multilingual students by making classroom learning accessible while treating their languages as resources. Learn how to map what students understand, offer purposeful language choices, and check subject knowledge separately from English expression.
Plan with the Deaf participant and interpreter before the interaction, speak directly to the participant, and manage turn-taking so everyone can see and follow. The interpreter conveys communication; they are not a substitute for the participant.
Inclusive language makes room for people’s identities and circumstances by choosing terms that are accurate, respectful, and suited to context. Ask when a person’s preference is unknown, and revise wording when it excludes someone unnecessarily.
