Meeting Millennium Development Goals
through local languages
Eight goals were adopted by 189 United Nations member states to be achieved by 2015.
SIL views local language-based development as essential to achieve these goals.
Learning to read occurs most easily in the language the learner speaks best.
Goal 2. Achieve universal primary education
Primary education programs that begin in the mother tongue help students gain literacy and numeracy skills more quickly. When taught in their local language, students readily transfer literacy skills to official languages of education, acquiring essential tools for life-long learning. The results are the growth of self esteem and a community that is better equipped to become literate in languages of wider communication.