Viewpoint

Viewpoint
Viewpoint is a space where our G11 HLP-ers share their thoughts and reflection about their HLP-er's service.

Mikoto Nakao, 2024/25 G11 HLP-er (Japanese)

It was really nice seeing improvements in the student's language skills throughout the year.  My cultural knowledge and awareness also improved through the support in cultural events done with the students. 

Yui Ashida, 2024/25 G11 HLP-er (Japanese)

As I am passionate about my first language, Japanese, being able to connect with Japanese kids and reinforcing to younger generations about the importance and privilege of being able to learn their mother tongue helped me strengthen an aspect of my cultural identity as well.

Julia Bermig, 2024/25 G11 HLP-er (German/French)

It’s honestly quite powerful. Language is so tied to identity, so helping someone feel more confident using their home language feels like more than just tutoring, it’s helping them feel seen and understood. That’s something I’ve really valued about this experience.

Aika Saito, 2023/24 G11 HLP-er (Japanese)

Being part of the G11 class as a Japanese language teacher supporter has been a fulfilling experience. Witnessing the students' growth in learning Japanese has brought me joy. As we progressed through the curriculum, I could make a connection with the students, sharing their interests, and stories. Engagement as a G11 HLP Leader, fostered skills to keep the students engaged and eager to learn. I believe these skills will help me in the future.  As I move on to G12, I keep the friendships and the impact this service has had on me.

Meg Gu, 2023/24 G11 HLP-er (Chinese)

I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the HLP team. I really enjoyed my year working with the students, and I was very disappointed that I couldn’t continue the service this year. I would say that the best of the program is definitely working with the kids. They were all extremely welcoming and readily accepted me into their lessons. The sense of pride I would get from seeing how much they had improved throughout the year was very rewarding, and really motivated me to continue giving my all in our weekly sessions. The bonds we built in HLP also extend outside of the classroom. Some of the best moments were when the students greeted me when they saw me on campus, whether it was during the Community Fair or just passing them when I was walking to class. 

Tatum Jasmijn Jansma, 2022/23 G11 HLP-er (Dutch)

Helping with the home language program has made me appreciate the large variety of languages and cultures we have at UWCSEA. Coming from a different international school I already know what it was like being in a diverse environment, but I find myself still surprised at the level of involvement UWCSEA has in connecting people to their home countries. People take pride in their country's language, traditions, and history, and I find that that is something to admire. For me, my home language (Dutch) has always been the main way I connect with my nationality, as I have never lived in Holland. Growing up outside of my home country and in international communities, I find that I do not have the same experiences with culture as those back home do. Though the HLP program has made me realize that it doesn’t matter where you are, you are still able to share your language with those around you. I think that language is what connects people to each other and to their country. If I were to describe it, I would say that I feel happy to not only help with connecting people to their home language but also be a part of the community myself.

Laura Janini Dohmen, 2022/23 G11 HLP-er (Portuguese & Spanish)

When I found out that there was a possibility for me to interact with kids that spoke the same language as me, I instantly knew it would be such a rewarding experience that I would love to be a part of. In my case, I was raised in my home country but many of the kids in my programme did not. I love to share with them parts of our culture that not only defined my childhood but define who I am as a person. Seeing them experience a little piece of our home so far away really reminds me of why UWCSEA is a community I want to be a part of - not only do we share our culture, but we also get to learn about others. I am so glad I get to take part in this programme and set up amazing events like International Mother Language Day 2022!

Esmeralda Ortiz Chaves, 2022/23 G11 HLP-er (Spanish)

Before coming to UWCSEA I had not had as great a cultural exchange as I have experienced here. Being surrounded by so many nationalities, customs and ways of living life has made me grow a lot as a person.

For me, being part of the Home Language Program has been a very enriching experience, since I not only share my culture with other people but also learn a lot about the culture of the students I help as an HPL-er. Being able to help a person to reconnect with their mother tongue makes me feel very special, not only because I am helping them develop skills in speaking, listening, and writing the language, in this case, Spanish, but it also allows them to get to know their past, its culture, and traditions.

Many of the students I help have told me that they want to learn their mother tongue to communicate better with their families and this has made a huge impact on me. Knowing that they do this challenge to preserve their roots seems incredible to me. I have grown a lot as a person being an HPL-er, every day I know a little more about the world around me.

Sivana Terron Gonzalez, 2022/23 G11 HLP-er (Spanish)

Since I was told of this service, I was amazed by the awareness school has regarding our mother tongue language. I consider that in order to connect and understand your culture, the first aspect you must explore is language. Language can show many features of the customs and traditions of our home countries, it can also shape the identity of a whole country. For example, my home language is Spanish. Spanish is spoken in many other countries in the world. Even so, the Spanish I speak is very different from the Spanish my Uruguayan, Chilean, Spanish and Venezuelan friends speak. This can show how these differences can emphasise the uniqueness of our culture. 

Since the students attending the HLP course didn’t have the opportunity to experience learning their mother tongue language at school, I consider that giving them this chance to finally connect with their cultural roots through language it’s an amazing opportunity not only to understand their past and traditions but also their identity and who they are in the present. 

Aika Saito, 2023/24 G11 HLP-er (Japanese)

One of the standout moments of our service was organizing the International Mother Language Day celebration. The process of putting together the event was both challenging and rewarding. From coordinating the stage setup to organizing auditions for performances, every step required careful planning and teamwork. Choosing the student who would sing and taking on a singing role myself was a thrilling experience. 

Meg Gu, 2023/24 G11 HLP-er (Chinese)

Organising UWC Vision for International Mother Language Day was, truthfully, not easy. As it was the first time we hosted something like that in the College, we had to make plans from scratch. We did face some challenges along the way, but seeing the contest actually happen and how enthusiastic the students were, it was definitely worth it.

Sivana Terron Gonzalez, 2022/23 G11 HLP-er (Spanish)

Planning the activities we wanted to do for International Mother Language day allowed me to do networking with other students in school. My team and I came up with many interesting initiatives that we thought could be fun and interactive for this special day. 

The fact that we celebrated this event the same day the Ukrainian-Russian conflict reached its climax, made me reflect that this is not only an issue related to power but the lack of tolerance to understand and respect each other’s culture. Through language, we can identify and recognize the distinctive features we all have as individuals who conform to a culture or a nation. Therefore the respect and recognition of these differences will allow us to create a world that celebrates and promotes the respect of those outside our heritage and values.

Esmeralda Ortiz Chaves, 2022/23 G11 HLP-er (Spanish)

Helping to organise International Mother Language day was an incredible experience. This is the first time I have helped organise a school event since coming to UWCSEA, so I was very excited to help. When I was informed about the event, so many ideas came to my mind of what it could be like and how much we could do to make it unforgettable. How I visualised the event was with many colours and full of flags from all over the world.

Multiculturalism is very important to me, and commemorating cultural roots were of equal importance. Although we had little time to organise the event, I feel that in the end, it was very unique and really represented this year's main theme proposed by UNESCO "Technology and learning a new language in times of Covid pandemic -19". We were all able to reflect on how important it is to access knowledge and the great privilege we have at UWCSEA to be able to access learning. This makes us wonder: What more can be done to help the children of the world to have a better education? To what extent has online education served as a means of learning in times of pandemic?