The theme of this year’s International Mother Language Day, “Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society,” captures the essence of the Language Friendly School. This is what Language Friendly Schools do: fostering their students’ multilingualism, making sure that everyone is included and celebrating diversity. To celebrate International Mother Language Day, we created a video showing what Language Friendly Schools do.
Language diversity is not a problem but rather the solution
For Language Friendly Schools, language diversity is not a problem but rather the solution to create a climate of inclusion and well-being. A Language Friendly School values all languages of the community equally. The objective is that all students feel welcome, enjoy their full identity, and build on that to enhance their overall academic performance. Principals, educators, students, community members, and parents or guardians work together toward these common goals.
How do Language Friendly Schools do it?
The Language Friendly School network is open to all schools, public, private, international, primary, secondary and even tertiary schools are welcome. The Language Friendly Schools are all different, with varying student populations and operating in vastly different education systems. So each school is encouraged to create their own Language Friendly School-activities. For example:
- students are encouraged to participate in the classroom as active agents and leaders by sharing their languages and cultural practices with their peers.
- teachers develop classroom activities that are both relevant and relatable to students and their families
- school teams cultivate an atmosphere of inclusion and diversity by ensuring that parents, caregivers and community partners are all involved in the program.
But why don’t you watch the video and have a look for yourself!
Take a look at our Language Friendly Schools
Get to know our Language Friendly Schools in the Netherlands and Canada! Click on the link to discover tips for success, activities and get a sneak-peek into each schools’ individual Language Friendly approach.