UN International Mother Language Day Celebration
International Mother Language Day, which is on February 22, is a day to celebrate our mother tongue. In the week of Mother Language Day, three 11th graders planned for International Mother Language Day at NIS. There were various languages that were represented. These included: Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (Chinese), Shanghainese (Chinese), Spanish, Tagalog, German, Ukrainian, English, Italian, Swahili, Hindi, Urdu, Portuguese, Russian, French, Dutch, Polish, Vietnamese, Thai, Assamese, and Mongolian. During the 3 days, students were able to experience, and share with each other, the diversity of the NIS community. During the week, students engaged in different activities during homeroom time that correlates to people’s mother languages.
Elementary students had a parade showcasing different countries. Home Language Club members were divided up into their language groups that the members taught. Elementary students rotated to each language room throughout the day. The members organized various activities depending on the language which allowed the elementary students to learn about other cultures. Elementary students participated in activities like games from different languages such as Karuta which is a Japanese card game and learning a few phrases in different languages.
Secondary students participated in activities during their usual and extended homeroom time. On Monday, students solved a crossword puzzle with phrases from different languages. On Tuesday, students were introduced to what they were going to do on Wednesday which is making a video that correlates to their mother tongue. On Wednesday, students were split up into their mother tongue groups and created a video about their mother tongue. Students created videos about dialects, games, sayings, and more. This was a fun way for secondary students to get together and remember their mother tongue.
The International Mother Language Day at NIS was a huge success as students were able to learn more about other people’s cultures, which include their languages. A huge thank you to the three 11th graders who organized this event as well as the Home Language Club members and teachers who helped out with the day. :)