A book exhibition dedicated to International Mother Language Day was organized at the Presidential Library of Azerbaijan. Observed annually on 21 February worldwide, this day was officially proclaimed by UNESCO in November 1999 at the initiative of the Ambassador of Bangladesh. The principal objective of International Mother Language Day is to preserve and promote linguistic and cultural diversity on a global scale.
The exhibition features publications encompassing a broad range of linguistic disciplines. In addition to works on general linguistics and cognitive science, methodology of mother tongue instruction, phraseology, stylistics, Turkological studies, comparative-historical linguistics, and language policy, the display includes textbooks, dictionaries, monographs, and methodological manuals devoted to the Azerbaijani, Turkish, English, French, German, Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Persian, and Russian languages. The publications are intended for a broad readership.
The exhibition also highlights the historical development of the Azerbaijani language as a state language. The comprehensive advancement of the Azerbaijani language within the country, its establishment as a fully functional state language, and the strengthening of its position in the international arena were direct outcomes of the deliberate and consistent language policy pursued by National Leader Heydar Aliyev.
Owing to his principled stance, amendments were introduced in 1978 to Article 73 of the Constitution of the Azerbaijan SSR, thereby constitutionally enshrining the status of the Azerbaijani language as the state language. Following Azerbaijan’s restoration of independence, the 1995 Constitution formally reaffirmed the official name of the state language, and significant legislative acts aimed at protecting and developing the mother tongue were adopted at the governmental level.
The language policy initiated by the National Leader is currently being successfully continued by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. Considering language policy as one of the principal priorities of his political agenda, he pursues a consistent and purposeful strategy aimed at preserving the purity and further development of the Azerbaijani language, regularly addressing this issue in his public speeches and thereby reaffirming its status as a state priority.
This exhibition is of considerable interest both to specialists in the field of linguistics and to a broader readership engaged with related issues. The book exhibition not only facilitates the dissemination of scholarly works and highlights the major stages in the development of linguistic scholarship, but also promotes sustained public engagement with issues of language and state language policy.
