よろしくおねがいします。 Nínhǎo. Tēnā koe. Comment ça va?
My name is Danielle, and I’m a language student taking NCEA Level 3 Japanese. Language Week at BDSC, which took place from 6 June until 9 June this year, is our school’s celebration of language diversity, allowing students to honour their own languages as well as learn something new about various cultures from around the world. Accepting, learning about, and understanding some of the world’s countless amazing cultures and languages is a valuable experience. This is why I, and many other language students, would highly recommend learning a second language while students are here at college.
When you take a language subject, you don’t just learn the vocabulary, you learn a culture. Learning new languages can help you learn more about your own culture and can bridge cultural gaps because you have a greater sense of understanding when it comes to differing communication. On Friday 9 June, the language departments organized food stalls selling student-made cuisines from each culture of the languages taught here at BDSC. The students cooked the food before setting up at sit-down lunch on the day, and began selling as lunch started, where students flew from all Whānau as soon as the bell rang, to ensure they could get there before the stalls sold out.
The Japanese food stall sold もぐもぐ (Mogu Mogu – fruit juice with coconut jelly), みそしる (Miso soup – made from miso paste, broth, tofu, and spring onion), and たこやき (Takoyaki – famous ball-shaped fried octopus). The students from the Japanese department prepared their cooking with the help of Yuka Sensei, and those who were selling the food wore Yukata (lightweight Japanese summer robes). The French food stall was selling Crepes (thin fried pancakes wrapped around either sweet or savoury fillings) and Madeleines (small baked shell-shaped sponge cakes). The French department seemed to sell out the quickest out of the three stalls, with large crowds of students surrounding the table. Finally, the Chinese food stall sold 饺子 (Fried Dumplings – meat and vegetable fillings within a fried dough wrap) and 鹽酥雞 (Salted Crispy Chicken), with another large crowd surrounding them, purchasing all of the student-prepared cooking. It was an enriching experience, not only for the students purchasing the delicious dishes, but also for those who helped with preparation – they gained the practical experience and skills to cook dishes from various cultures.
Overall, BDSC’s Language Week was a complete success, promoting cultural understanding and celebrating delicious cuisines, with all three stalls selling out quickly, raising funds for next year’s language department students’ events. Through learning another language, we can learn more about others and create an inclusive, diverse community that celebrates all people and their cultures.
~ Danielle McInally 13K12