A Beautifully Multilingual and Mother Tongue Melody
If you happened to walk past the theatre during community time this week and thought you had accidentally stumbled into a high-level Model United Nations summit, minus the stiff suits and plus a considerable amount of teenage laughter and energy, you would not be far off. Our latest student-led assembly was a vibrant, noisy, and heartwarming reminder of what makes our school so special. We weren’t just "learning" about diversity; we were living it, hearing it, and occasionally tripping over it (linguistically speaking).
The energy was electric as our Language and Cultural Advocates took to the stage as part of our recognition of International Mother Tongue Day on 21st February. This wasn't a presentation; it was a rhythmic showcase of our community’s soul. From the flow of Spanish and Mandarin to the beautiful complexities of Ukrainian, Russian, and Filipino, the stage was a revolving door of global heritage. Watching our Middle and High Schoolers attempt to recognise various languages through interactive games was a particular highlight. They helped us see that something as straightforward as “hello” sounds spectacular in twenty different ways, though it is surprisingly hard to identify which is which when you are laughing that hard!
On a personal note, this assembly resonated with me as a parent and made me feel grateful to be part of our community. My own son is bilingual, and I feel incredibly lucky that he is growing up in a school where he is encouraged to celebrate both the Spanish and English speaking parts of his identity. I have worked in schools in the past where English was the only "encouraged" language in the corridors, a policy often born of very good intentions but one that can unintentionally silence a child’s sense of self. Here, we want our students to find their home in hearing a glorious mix of what they hear in the world outside our doors. We love hearing the "code-switching" and the melodic blend of different tongues in our corridors; it is the soundtrack of a truly global education.
ISA’s commitment to home languages extends well beyond our assembly stage. Our library is another testament to this, as we actively encourage students to take out books in their home languages to maintain that vital link to their heritage and literacy. When our students share their mother tongues, they are embodying the IB Learner Profile and our ISA values. acting as Risk-takers by speaking their home languages on stage, and as Communicators who understand that language is about making others feel seen. By being Open-minded, our audience showed what it means to be truly inclusive, acknowledging the identity that each student brings to our halls.
I want to extend a huge thank you to our brave Language and Cultural Advocates. Your courage is what drives our culture of belonging. You didn't just teach us words; you shared a piece of your homes with us. A special shout-out should also go to Madame Wolfe, our lead Language and Cultural Advocate. Her tireless passion is the glue that holds these initiatives together, constantly pushing us to be more curious and more compassionate. Whether you say Gracias, Salamat, Xiexie, or Dyakuyu, thank you for making our school a place where every voice, and every language, is at home.
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