Language of the Month/La Langue du mois
'The limits of my language mean the limits of my world' 'Die Grenzen meiner Sprache, bedeuten die Grenzen meiner Welt.' Ludwig Wittgenstein (1922)
Did you know that there are over 7000 different languages spoken around the world? There are over 200 within Europe and at least 12 different indigenous languages still spoken in the UK alone!
Schools are an amazing melting pot different cultures, with over 300 different languages spoken in UK schools. At Bournes Green, we value and respect all those spoken within our own community. We are lucky enough to have more than twenty different languages spoken by children in our school. To celebrate this and deepen our children’s linguistical and cultural awareness, we are introducing ‘Language of the Month’, a celebration of the most spoken languages at our school.
Alongside our regular French lessons, each month our children will have the opportunity to learn words and phrases from other languages spoken within our community and the wider world, as well as develop an understanding of their culture.
Below are some links and useful resources and websites which you may find useful!
www.youtube.com - watch your favourite cartoon or film in another language!
British Council Schools Shop - Teaching Resources - TES
French Day Ideas | Teaching Ideas
Mondly Kids: Fun language learning for kids
Duolingo - The world's best way to learn French
If you speak any of the languages listed above, or, have experiences of living in a country that speaks one of these languages, we would love for you to come in and share this with us. Please contact Mrs Holland (MFL Lead) or Mr Denchfield if you would like to discuss this further.
September - European Languages
September 26th is European Day of Languages which is held to celebrate the different languages spoken in Europe.
Countries: 44 countries
European Languages: More than 200
EU languages: 24 designated languages: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish
Useful Links
- https://edl.ecml.at/Home/tabid/1455/language/en-GB/Default.aspx
- https://edl.ecml.at/Portals/33/documents/poster/EDL-infographic-languages-EN.pdf
- First Words in European Language
October - Turkish
Official language in: Turkey
Co-language in: Cyprus, Northern Cyprus
Minority language in: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Greece, Iraq, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Romania
Spoken by: 75.7 million (native)
Language family: Western Oghuz – Oghuz – Common Turkic – Turkic
Writing system: Latin (Turkish alphabet)
Fun Fact: Turkish completely changed its alphabet in 1928. They changed the entire alphabet from Arabic script to a westernized Latin alphabet.
Discover more about the country of Turkey, also known officially as the Republic of Türkiye. Click on the links below to find it’s location and more about this unique country that bridges both Asia and Europe.
Location of Turkey - Google Earth
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries/article/turkey
Key National Events - Republic Day
Republic Day in Turkey, or Cumhuriyet Bayramı as it’s known in Turkish, commemorates the offical start of a new Turkey. On this day in October 1923 Mustafa Kemal Atatürk officially proclaimed the establishment of the Türkiye Cumhuriyeti (Republic of Turkey).
Republic Day lasts for 35 hours, beginning at 1pm on October 28, but the major ceremonies are held on the 29th October. Republic Day is a national holiday, so all public institutions are closed on that day. It is also observed by Northern Cyprus. Decorations (e.g., streamers, balloons, and clothing) are generally coloured red and white, the colours of the Turkish flag. Parades are often held in the morning, while concerts, and fireworks displays occur in the evening after dark at such places as parks, fairgrounds, or town squares. Republic Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs.
Useful Language Learning Links
November - Czech
Official language in: Czech Republic
Minority language in: Poland, Serbia, Ukraine, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Austria.
Spoken by: 10 million (native)
Language family: Czech is a member of the West Slavic sub-branch of the Slavic branch of the Indo-European language family. This branch includes Polish, Kashubian, Upper and Lower Sorbian and Slovak. Slovak is the most closely related language to Czech, followed by Polish and Silesian
Writing system: Czech uses a modified Latin alphabet with a few diacriticals (accent marks): the háček (ˇ), čárka (´) and kroužek (°).
Fun Fact: Some Czech words do not contain any vowels at all!
Discover more about the land-locked country of the Czech Republic, also known as Czechia and historically as Bohemia. Click on the links below to find it’s location and more about this unique country whose name itself comes from the Czech word Čech. The name Čech comes from the Slavic tribe (Czech: Češi, Čechové) and, according to legend, their leader Čech, who brought them to Bohemia, to settle on Říp Mountain located in the Czech Republic.
https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Czech-Republic/345676
Location of Czech Republic - Google Earth
Key National Event - November 17th - Freedom and Democracy Day.
The full name of the event is Day of Freedom and Democracy and International Student Day, becomes it celebrates the efforts of students in their struggle for freedom throughout the history of what was once Czechoslovakia.
The date of the commemoration comes from the 1939 Nazi storming of the University of Prague after demonstrations against the occupation of Czechoslovakia. The Nazis executed nine students who were involved in the peaceful demonstration. Then in 1989 on the same date, another student demonstration took place to commemorate the lives of these students and the date of the student revolt. This was then suppressed by the police, but was seen as the spark for the Velvet Revolution, where more protests followed by more than just students. This then eventually led to the overthrow of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia, leading to an independent Czechoslovak state once more.
The day is usually celebrated through public rituals and ceremonies, and sometimes street festivals. The president may usually lay flowers at the commemorative plaque on National Avenue in Prague while delivering a speech. Some people may light candles and lay wreaths, too.
Useful Language Learning Links
December - Ukrainan
Official language in: Ukrainan
Co-language in: N/A
Minority language in: Belarus, Russian Federation, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia
Spoken by: 33 million (native)
Language family: Indo-European – Balto-Slavic – Slavic – East Slavic - Ukrainian
Writing system: Ukrainian alphabet
Fun Fact: Ukrainian is language rich in synonyms – there are 45 synonyms for the verb ‘to beat’!
Discover more about this eastern European country. Click on the links below to find it’s location and learn more. Location of Ukraine - Google Earth Ukraine - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
Key National Event - Christmas
Like many Christian countries, Christmas is a major celebration. In Ukraine, Christmas celebrations traditionally start on Christmas Eve and continue until 6th January, the date of the celebration of the baptism of Jesus, known in Ukraine as Vodokhreshche or Yordan. These dates are based on the Gregorian calendar, the same calendar that is used within the UK and the most common globally.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar, which means their holidays run from 6th - 19th January.
Christmas was largely erased from the Ukrainian calendar for much of the 20th century due to the Soviet Union's anti-religious policies, but many of its traditions survived and are being revived again. In 2023, for the first time since 1917, Christmas Day in Ukraine was officially celebrated on 25th December.
They observe Christmas Day as a public holiday on 25th December. The centrepiece of the festivities is the Holy Supper, also known as the “Sviata Vecheria,” which begins with the first star sighting and has twelve courses representing the twelve apostles. Kutia, a puffed wheat, is the main Christmas course. As a piece of home décor, the didukh - a bundle of wheat stalks representing the souls of the ancestors - is displayed in the country.
On the eve of Christmas, according to Ukrainian folklore, it was traditional to clean the home, resupply household equipment, and gather all the resources needed for the winter, such as firewood, cloth, wheat, honey, and more. New or clean towels and herbs were introduced to the Christian ritual of decorating icons before Christmas.
Holy Evening, or Sviatvechir (“Christmas Eve”), is Wednesday, 24th December in Ukraine, and Koliada (“Christmas Day”) is the night of 24th and 25th December.
The Holy Evening is not complete without the joyous feast in Ukraine. The number of months is used to determine the number of vegetarian meals (“lenten”) cooked for supper, which ranges from 12 in certain parts of Ukraine to 17. The Ukrainian national cuisine is “rich kutia,” which consists of boiling barley or wheat cooked with honey and several plant components. “Rich kutia” originally had a mystical meaning: it was a symbol of the household’s prosperity sent to the deity Veles (a Slavic god) in the hopes of a plentiful crop the next year.
On Christmas Eve night a shopka (vertep), a traditional portable nativity scene, carried by children or adults alike, and used to represent the Nativity and other figures in a puppet form, is brought out in public, the portable tall box is either accompanied by singing carollers or crowds either before or after the vigil service
On Christmas day, family members who attended the midnight church service would greet those who stayed at home on Christmas morning, followed by a collective prayer and breakfast. With the unique greeting “Christ is born!” received on Christmas morning, the response is “Let us glorify Him!” Church services with joyful prayers and visits to family are commonplace on this day. Meat and other heavy foods are once again permissible when the fast concludes on 25th December.
Useful Language Learning Links
- Ukraine national anthem · Duolingo
- Ukrainian Language Lessons for Beginners
- How to Begin Learning Ukrainian ·
- Learn Ukrainian Online (lingohut.com)
January - Chinese
Official language in: China, Taiwan, Singapore,
Spoken by: 920 million (native)
Language family: Sinitic – Sino-Tibetan
Writing system: Chinese Characters (Simplified, Traditional)
Fun Fact: When people talk about Chinese, they normally mean Mandarin, but, there are actually a number of different Chinese languages, so it is important to be specific.
Discover more about The Peoples Republic of China, the worlds most populous country. Its population exceeds 1.4 billion people Occupying nearly the entire East Asian landmass, it covers approximately one-fourteenth of the land area of Earth. Among the major countries of the world, China is surpassed in area by only Russia and Canada, and it is almost as large as the whole of Europe.
Location of China - Google Earth
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries/article/china
Key National Event - Chinese New Year
Chinese-New-Year-Resource-Pack-2023.pdf
Useful Language Learning Links
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Learn Chinese for Kids - Numbers, Colors & More - Rock 'N Learn - YouTube
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https://www.lingohut.com/en/l61/learn-chinese
February - Lithuania
Official language in: Lithuania
Co-language in: N/A
Minority language in: Poland
Spoken by: 3 million (native speakers)
Language family: Indo-European – Balto-Slavic – Balto – East Baltic - Lithuanian
Writing system: Lithuanian alphabet
Fun Fact: It is one of the least common languages in Europe. Nebeprisikiškiakopūsteliaujantiesiems is the longest official Lithuanian word.
Discover more about this European country. Click on the links below to find it’s location and learn more. Location of Lithuania - Google Earth Lithuania - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
Key National Event - Restoration of the State Day
This national day is commonly confused with Independence Restoration Day. Both these days are public holidays and are regarded as independence days in the country. However, the former signifies the restoration of the lost glory of the state from the Germans, while the latter celebrates the restoration of independence from the Soviet Union.
Earlier in the 13th century and up until the late 18th century, Lithuania was a sovereign European nation with a rich historical background. However, the Russian Empire took over the reins of the country and retained its hold on it until the First World War. Between 1914 and 1917, the advancing German forces of W.W.I. took control of Lithuania, and when the Russians launched counterattacks on the nation, the Germans gave Lithuanians a choice to side with either them or the Russians, hoping that the citizens would choose them.
However, the Lithuanians chose neither Germany nor Russia and instead declared themselves independent from German rule on 16th February, 1918. This event marked Lithuania’s first independence. Since Lithuania had been a sovereign nation before then, the day was named Restoration of the State Day in Lithuania, signifying their restored sovereignty. From then on, the country celebrated its independence every 16th February. Unfortunately for them, their independence was short-lived and only lasted for 22 years before the Soviet Union took over the country in W.W.II. This invariably makes the country one of the few to be occupied by the Russians twice. The Russians continued to rule the nation even after the end of W.W.II, until when Lithuanians joined hands with Estonians to stage demonstrations and demand another independence. In 1990, their struggles were rewarded and they regained their freedom on 16th March - adopting yet again another Independence Day.
Useful Language Learning Links: · Learn Lithuanian Online (lingohut.com) · Ling - The best way to learn Lithuanian (ling-app.com) · Lithuanian Language - Basic Lithuanian YouTube · Learn Lithuanian for free (50languages.com)
March - Urdu
Official language in: India, Pakistan
Minority language in: South Africa
Spoken by: 70 million (native)
Language family: Hindustani – Indo-Aryan – Indo-Iranian – Indo-European
Writing system: Perso-Arabic (Urdu alphabet)
Fun Fact: The first known book in Urdu is سب رس [Sabras], written in 1635-36 by Mullah Asadullah Wajhi. the book was handwritten.
Discover more about Pakistan officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-largest Muslim population just behind Indonesia.
Location of Pakistan - Google Earth
https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Pakistan/345761
Key National Event - Pakistan Republic Day 23 March
Pakistan Day (Urdu: یومِ پاکستان, lit. Yaum-e-Pakistan) or Pakistan Resolution Day, also Republic Day, is a national holiday in Pakistan primarily commemorating the adoption of the first Constitution of Pakistan during the transition of the Dominion of Pakistan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on 23 March 1956 making Pakistan the world's first Islamic republic.[1] The day also celebrates the adoption of the Lahore Resolution by the Muslim League at the Minar-e-Pakistan (lit. Pakistan Tower) which called for the creation of an independent sovereign state derived from the provinces with Muslim majorities located in the North-West and East of British India (excluding autonomous princely States) on 23 March 1940.
The day is celebrated annually throughout the country as a public holiday. The Pakistan Armed Forces usually hold a military parade to celebrate both the passing of the Lahore Resolution and the Constitution of 1956.
Useful Language Learning Links
April - Dutch
Official language in: Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname, France (Nord), Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Saba
Minority language in: South Africa (daughter language)
Spoken by: 25 million native speakers.
Language family: Indo-European - Germanic – West Germanic – Weser Rhine Germanic – Low Franconian – Dutch
Writing system: Latin (Dutch alphabet)
Fun Fact: Dutch is one of the closest relatives of both German and English and is colloquially said to be "roughly in between" them.
The Netherlands, often referred to as Holland, lies in Northwestern Europe. It shares borders with Germany to the east, Belgium to the south, and faces the North Sea to the north and west.
Discover more about the Netherlands’ location on the links below.
Location of the Netherlands - Google Earth Lithuania - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
Key National Event - Koningsdag or King's Day.
This date is is a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and celebrates the birth of the Dutch monarch. Currently celebrated on 27th April (26th April if the 27th is a Sunday), the date marks the birth of the current Dutch King, King Willem-Alexander. The date and name of the day changes according to the monarch on the throne at the time. When the Dutch monarch is female, the holiday is known as Koninginnedag or Queen's Day. Under Queen Beatrix, who was the Dutch Queen until she abdicated in 2013, the day was celebrated on 30th April. This was not the birth date of Queen Beatrix however, it was instead the birth date of her mother, Queen Juliana who held the throne from 1948 until 1980.
The holiday was initially observed on 31st August 1885 as Prinsessedag or Princess's Day, the fifth birthday of Princess Wilhelmina, then heir presumptive to the Dutch throne. On her accession in November 1890 the holiday acquired the name Koninginnedag, first celebrated on 31 August 1891. In September 1948, Wilhelmina's daughter Juliana ascended to the throne and the holiday was moved to her birthday, 30th April. The holiday was celebrated on this date from 1949. To celebrate the day, everybody wears orange and cars and road traffic is banned in cities such as the capital, Amsterdam.
Useful Language Learning Links
- Wilhelmus | National Anthem of the Netherlands (youtube.com)
- Duolingo - The world's best way to learn Dutch
- Learn Dutch Online (lingohut.com)
- Dutch language, alphabet and pronunciation (omniglot.com)
- Free Dutch Cheatsheets: Learn Dutch with PDF (dutchpod101.com)
May - Tamil (India)
Official language in: India (Tamil Nadu and Puducherry), Sri Lanka and Singapore
Minority language in: Malaysia, Mauritius, South Africa,
Spoken by: almost 90 million people worldwide with over 80 million in India alone
Language family: Dravidian - Southern - Tamil - Kannada - Tamil Kodaqu - Tamil - Malayalam - Tamil Languages - Tamil
Writing system: Tamil script
Fun Fact: Tamil is the oldest living language in the world. It’s not the oldest language in the world, but it is the oldest living language, i.e a language that is still being used today.
Discover more about India and where Tamil is spoken by clicking on the links below. Location of India - Google Earth India Country Profile - National Geographic Kids
Key National Event - Independence Day
This is a national holiday in India celebrated annually on 15th August. Independence Day marks the end of British rule in 1947, brought about by the Indian Independence Act of 18th July that year, and the establishment of a free and independent Indian nation. It also marks the anniversary of the partition of the subcontinent into two countries, India and Pakistan, which occurred at midnight on 14th – 15th August 1947. (In Pakistan, Independence Day is celebrated on 14th August.)
The Indian independence movement began during World War I and was led by Mohandas K. Gandhi, who advocated for a peaceful and nonviolent end to British rule.
Independence Day is marked throughout India with flag-raising ceremonies, drills, and the singing of the Indian national anthem. Additionally, various cultural programs are made available in the state capitals. After the prime minister participates in the flag-raising ceremony at the Red Fort historic monument in Old Delhi, a parade ensues with members of the armed forces and police. The prime minister then delivers a televised address to the country, recounting the major accomplishments of India during the previous year and outlining future challenges and goals. Kite flying has also become an Independence Day tradition, with kites of various sizes, shapes, and colours filling the sky.
Useful Language Learning Links
- Learn Tamil for free (50languages.com)
- Learn Tamil in 5 Days
- Conversation for Beginners
- Tamil Learning Resources: Online PDF Books, Games, Worksheets & More (avvaitamil.org)
- Learn Tamil | LEARN101.ORG
June - Arabic
Official language in: Egypt, Algeria, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Tunisia, Jordan, Libya, Lebanon, Somalia, UAE, Mauritania, Oman, Isarael, Kuwait, Palestine, Chad, Qatar, Bahrain, Djibouti, Somaliland (co-official language), Zanzibar, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic,
Minority language in: Cyprus, Niger, Senegal and Eritrea
It is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations and the fifth most spokem language globally.
Spoken by: 420 million native speakers. The most populous Arab state is Egypt where there are circa 110 million native speakers.
Language family: Afro - Asiatic - Semitic, West-Semitic - Central-Semitic - Arabic
Writing system: Arabic alphabet
Fun Fact: Arabic is written from right to left
Discover more about the African country of Egypt by clicking on the links below. Egypt is a trnascontinental countrym which means it spans more than one continent; the north-east corner of Africa and the sinai peninsula in the south west corner of Asia. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip of Palestine and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the west. The Gulf of Aqaba in the northeast separates Egypt from Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Location of Egypt - Google Earth Egypt Country Profile - National Geographic Kids
Key National Event - EID ul-Adha When is Eid-ul-Adha 2024 and what is it?
Eid ul-Adha ('Festival of Sacrifice') is one of the most important festivals in the Muslim calendar.
The festival remembers the prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son when God ordered him to.
Eid ul-Adha celebrates the time when Ibrahim had a dream which he believed was a message from Allah asking him to sacrifice his son Isma'il as an act of obedience to God.
The devil tempted Ibrahim by saying he should disobey Allah and spare his son. As Ibrahim was about to kill his son, Allah stopped him and gave him a lamb to sacrifice instead.
Eid usually starts with Muslims going to the Mosque for prayers. They dress in their best clothes and thank Allah for all the blessings they have received. It is a time when they visit family and friends. Muslims will also give money to charity so that poor people can celebrate too.
Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Adha on the last day of the Hajj. The Hajj is pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia. It occurs every year and is the Fifth Pillar of Islam (and therefore very important).
All Muslims who are fit and able to travel should make the visit to Makkah at least once in their lives.
During the Hajj the pilgrims perform acts of worship and renew their faith and sense of purpose in the world. They stand before the Ka'bah, a shrine built by Ibrahim, and praise Allah together.
Useful Language Learning Links
- https://www.duolingo.com/course/ar/en/Learn-Arabic
- Learn Arabic Online: The only free Arabic resource you'll want
- Arabic alphabet, pronunciation and language (omniglot.com)
July - French
Official language in: 29 Countries… France, Benin, Burkina Fasa, Congo, DR Congo, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Monaco, Niger, Senegal, Togo
Co-language in: Belgium, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Central African Republic, Comoros, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Switzerland, Vanuatu
Minority language in: Guernsey, Lebanon, Mauritius, Vatican
Spoken by: 76.8 million worldwide
Language family: Romance language – Indo-European language
Writing system: Latin (French alphabet)
Fun fact: French is the only language, with English, that is taught in every country of the world, with 100 million students and 2 million teachers – 20% of whom are outside of francophone* countries.
(*Francophone = French speaking country)
Discover more about the magnifique country of France by clicking on the links below! A presidential Republic located in Western Europe, it encompasses medieval cities, alpine villages and Mediterranean beaches. Paris, its capital, is famed for its fashion houses, classical art museums including the Louvre and monuments like the Eiffel Tower. The country is also renowned for its wines and sophisticated cuisine. Lascaux’s ancient cave drawings, Lyon’s Roman theater and the vast Palace of Versailles attest to its rich history.
Location of France - Google Earth
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries/article/france
Key National Event - 14th July - Bastille Day
Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the National Day of France, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. In French, it is formally called ‘La Fête Nationale Française’ (French: "French National Celebration"); legally it is known as le 14 juillet ("the 14th of July").
The French National Day is the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, a major event of the French Revolution, as well as the Fête de la Fédération that celebrated the unity of the French people on 14 July 1790. Celebrations are held throughout France. One that has been reported as "the oldest and largest military parade in Europe" is held on 14 July on the Champs-Élysées in Paris in front of the President of the Republic, along with other French officials and foreign guests.
Useful Language Learning Links