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As part of its contribution to the 2014 Laureate Education project "Mother Tongue, Other Tongue," Routes into Languages North East is offering a series of workshops that support its regional Mother Tongue, Other Tongue competition (see: here)
Workshops can be arranged on a convenient day and time to take place either in your school or on campus at Newcastle University and will be led by our Student Ambassadors (with a background in Modern Languages or English/Creative Writing studies).
Mother Tongue, Other Tongue .
Led by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Mother Tongue, Other Tongue is a multilingual poetry competition that celebrates cultural diversity and the many languages currently spoken in schools across the UK.
The Mother Tongue category of the projects focuses on a poem in the student’s first language (in any language other than English). This can be an original, creative piece, or a poem or song that is ‘remembered’ (i.e. something in your first language that you recall, or that has been told to you by a relative.) Students are invited to select a poem in their Mother Tongue and to submit it into the competition along with short explanation of the inspiration behind the piece, where it comes from, or why it is important to the person submitting it. (No more than half a page). This part must be written in English and is the part of the entry that the student will be judged upon.
The Other Tongue category of the project encourages students learning a second language to write an original poem in a language that is not the first language spoken by the person writing it and to enter it into the competition. The languages students write in should be studied in their school and can be any of the following: French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, and Italian.
Workshops are designed to help your students prepare entries for either the Mother Tongue or Other Tongue categories of the competition while also exploring other aspects of poetry, identity, multiculturalism, languages and creative expression. They can be held for any classes from Year 4 to Year 13 in schools within the North East region.
For more details about the national Mother Tongue, Other Tongue project click here. For details of the Mother Tongue, Other Tongue North East regional competition (and to enter some of your pupils into the competition) please click here.
Workshops could include but are by no means limited to any of the below topics. Workshops can be tailored to suit your school's individual curriculum needs.
Primary School Workshops:
These workshop feature activities designed for Years 4, 5, or 6 and can be tailored to match any topics currently being studied in your curriculum.
Mixing Tongues:
This workshop is a playful way for pupils who have a range of different first languages to see how their languages are alike and unalike, playing on phonetics, word connotation and combination. Images will be used to create poems/short narratives as well as a mix of words to form a fun type of dialogue. The workshop aims to push creative boundaries as well as try to release any fears students may have about using their mother tongue. The workshop will focus on culture and language will help students to understand and appreciate their natural gift, allowing them the freedom to use it creatively. (Ideal for a class or group of children that come from a range of different multicultural backgrounds and can help pupils prepare an entry for the Mother Tongue category of the Mother Tongue, Other Tongue competition).
Past, Present and Future:
This is an inspirational workshop that covers the three stages of a pupil’s life. This workshop will help to increase pupils’ confidence, develop their creative writing skills and help them to prepare their entries for the competition. (Ideal for a MFL class or group of pupils learning a second language and can help pupils prepare an entry for the Other Tongue category of the Mother Tongue, Other Tongue competition).
What language do you dream in?
Growing up in the UK when your parents come abroad your friends often ask: What is your main language? What language do you dream in? Often, the answer changes depending on who was asking. Being bilingual can mean that you don’t just know two languages, but that you have two languages fighting it out inside of you. All exercises are there to give participants space and encouragement to eventually write or collect poems in their mother tongue, and help write the accompanying commentary for the competition. The pupils will be given an idea of the challenges and joys that others like them face in reconciling two languages. (Ideal for a class or group of bilingual pupils and can help pupils prepare an entry for the Mother Tongue category of the Mother Tongue, Other Tongue competition).
Born Identity:
This workshop allows students to explore the various ‘names’ and ‘labels’ imposed upon us as human beings and how far these labels work to shape one’s identity. Students will utilise these ideas to develop their writing skills and create a poem which they could enter into the Mother Tongue, Other Tongue competition. Ultimately this workshop will enhance the students’ self-confidence, influence personal growth and combine the various and contradictory aspects of their identity to make them feel secure with who they are. (Ideal for a class or group of children that come from a range of different multicultural backgrounds and can help pupils prepare an entry for the Mother Tongue category of the Mother Tongue, Other Tongue competition).
Fun with Etymology:
A workshop that traces the origins of words and how their meaning has changed over time. The workshop will also encourage students to think about their own cultural origins and how this has helped to shape them as individuals. (Ideal for a class or group of children that come from a range of different multicultural backgrounds and can help pupils prepare an entry for the Mother Tongue category of the Mother Tongue, Other Tongue competition).
Translating Poetry:
This workshop will inspire pupils to write creatively in another language. We will explore language with phonetic poetry tasks, working both individually and in pairs to begin the work of translating. There will also be group activities to feedback on how language creates meaning. The workshop aims to get pupils thinking about the act of translation as an enjoyable, fun activity that can be used to creatively express themselves. Pupils will also be encouraged to play with poetic forms through free writing and structured writing. (Ideal for a MFL class or group of pupils learning a second language and can help pupils prepare an entry for the Other Tongue category of the Mother Tongue, Other Tongue competition).
