“Posters, banners, world maps, wrist bands and other art and craft activities opened up conversations, reinforcing that we should all be proud of our mother tongue. The students shared experiences, language and culture bringing them closer together and sparking curiosity about the world,” Vilma said.
In Year 5, students discussed why it is important to maintain mother tongue languages at home.
“Many students shared stories about family members who felt compelled to anglicise their name. The students used a booklet with basic expressions in ten different languages and composed a multilingual dialogue using different languages and Italian,” Vilma said.
“Kindergarten children discussed the languages they speak at home, and many students contributed responses about which family members spoke additional languages. The children also received a Mother Tongue Day bracelet which they wore proudly.”
Below are some of the some beautiful quotes from students:
“At my house we celebrate Chinese New Year.”
“I feel good about speaking Thai. It’s normal for me.”
“I speak Egyptian at home and I love it.”
“I celebrate the Iranian New Year and eat an Iranian dish called a kebab. It is just a ton of meat that’s not on a stick.”
“My family is Hindu. We celebrate Holi, Diwali and Rhoki.”
“I am learning Hindi. My mum tells me things in Hindi and my dad is talking to me in Italian sometimes. My mum forgot Hindi because she moved to England. We celebrate Holi, Diwali Christmas and all the Indian Festivals.”
“My culture is Vietnamese.”
“At home we speak some Japanese. It is fun when we speak it.”
“I celebrate Chinese New Year because my mum’s side is Malaysian.”
“At home I speak Russian.”
“I speak Spanish at home and we celebrate the Spanish Dance Festival.”
“I speak Korean at home. I speak Greek at home.”
“I speak a little bit of Mandarin at my grandparents house.”
“I speak Arabic.”
“I speak a little bit of Cantonese with my mother.”