As I’ve registered a resurgence of reblogs in the old 2014 post, I’ve decided it’s time to make an official 2016 post. Yes, if there’s need, we’re coming back this year! Rules are the same as always. For newcomers:
What: Use Your Language Day (UYLD), a day for everyoe whose native language is not English to let down their hair and celebrate and use that language for 24 for hours.
When: May 7th, midnight to midnight, according to your time zone. Yes we do know that May 7th isn’t a Wednesday.
How: Starting midnight, your time zone, you can star blogging/tagging/replying in your native language. The fun bit is when your Spanish-speaking mutual comes into your askbox speaking Spanish, and you reply in German and everybody abuses Google Translate.
Why: A lot of us feel like we’re obliged to write in English all the time, and while that may not be true (we’re always free to use our own native languages after all), social pressure and habit come into play. It’s just how it’s done on Tumblr. Some of us also do it for the sake of accessibility, so doing it too often sometimes isn’t an option. UYLD is a day to let loose and reconnect with our cultures (especially for those who are disconnected from their native culture, because of migration, linguistic imperialism etc.)
But...: If you have any doubts or questions, PLEASE READ THE FAQ. Questions that are already covered in the FAQ will be disregarded. If you have a never-before-seen original question then ask this blog! I’m always interested in suggestions/feedback regarding inclusivity and accessibility.
Please make sure you tag all your posts “use your language day” or “uyld” or some variation thereof, if you are able, so that if people need to blacklist for accessibility reasons they can do so. This is about having fun, not distressing other people.
On this blog, search #uyld blog psa for updates, #uyld replies for things other people have asked last year, and #uyld debates for language/UYLD-related discussion. There are also tags for a variety of other topics which can be found in our tags page.
Once again, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU READ THE FAQ.
Have fun!
