A tried and tested multilingual poetry competition that celebrates cultural diversity and the many languages currently spoken in secondary schools that was created by Routes into Languages North West and is run in the Eastern region by Routes into Languages East.
The Routes into Languages East Mother Tongue Other Tongue 2023 competition formally ended with the Celebration Event at Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge on Thursday 14th March as part of the Cambridge Festival 2024
The 2024 competition launches at the beginning of the summer term
It is open to all schools who are members of the Routes into Languages East 2024/5 family (ie have paid to participate in 2024/25 in at least one of our projects: Spelling Bee, Translation Bee, Language Leader Award, Languages Challenge, LinguaMaths, Primary Bee).
THE ROUTES EAST COMPETITION
Open to: 9-18 year olds (Years 5-13)
Age categories are as follows:
KS2 (Primary years 5, 6)
KS3 (Secondary years 7,8,9)
KS4 (Secondary years 10,11)
KS5 (Secondary years 12,13)
Each school can enter the 2 best entries per language from each year group for Mother Tongue and the 2 best entries per year group per language for Other Tongue.
The deadline is Friday 19th July, 2024
Shortlisted entries will be selected by a panel of judges and will receive certificates.
Routes into Languages East invites young writers to send in their poetry and verse for this multi-lingual poetry competition. There are two categories:
- Mother Tongue – pupils whose first language is not English are encouraged to submit a poem or song in their first language. It can be an original piece, or a ‘remembered’ piece. It can be written in any language. The entry will be judged on a short paragraph (written in English) that explains the piece and its significance to the pupil.
- Other Tongue – pupils learning another language are encouraged to get creative with this language and submit an original poem for the competition.
THE RULES
Mother Tongue / Other Tongue is open to all mainstream and supplementary secondary schools in the East and pupils can enter as individuals or groups of any size.
The judge's decisions are final.
Mother Tongue:
Pupils whose first language is not English, or who speak another language at home, are encouraged to submit a poem or song in their Mother Tongue. This can be an original or a ‘remembered’ piece.
It can be written in any language, except English. Entries will be judged on a short paragraph in which pupils will explain the piece and its significance to them. Please provide a line by line translation of the piece.
Other Tongue:
Pupils learning another language are encouraged to get creative with their 'Other Tongue' and submit an original poem for the competition.
All entries must be accompanied by a Mother Tongue Other Tongue 2024 Entry Cover Sheet (see below).
TEACHERS!
FOR A TEACHER'S PACK TO HELP GET YOU STARTED email Sarah Schechter: ss2431@cam.ac.uk
FOR SOME GREAT RESOURCES AND LINKS SEE THE MMU MOTHER TONGUE OTHER TONGUE WEBSITE (CLICK HERE)
To submit by email, send your entry to ss2431@cam.ac.uk, with the entry form (see below) and with the subject heading MTOT or by post to:
Sarah Schechter
Director Routes into Languages East
Murray Edwards College
Huntingdon Road
Cambridge CB3 0DF
NOTE: no responsibility will be taken for lost or wrongly addressed entries and entries without fully completed entry forms risk not being accepted for the competition
