Mother Tongue Program (MT)

The Mother Tongue Programme is a new incentive in UWCM Primary. This programme is based on the idea that a strong mother language helps the development of a second, third or even fourth language!

‘Those who know nothing of a foreign language know nothing of their own.’

(Goethe. German Philosopher. 1749-1832)

 Three members of the UWCM Primary team attended the IPC Summer School 2006 in Greenwich where this was one of the hot topics! Following the course UWCM Primary Staff were presented with the ideas and a decision was made to promote some Mother Tongue activities during the school year 2006-2007.

 Here are some of the activities that were introduced:

•Mother Tongue Time – a set time each day where the children are encouraged to use their mother tongue.

•Mother Tongue Book Boxes – in each class there is a Mother Tongue book box and parents are encouraged to donate books to represent each mother tongue in the class.

•Writing in the Mother Tongue – in ESL the children have been encouraged to complete activities in their mother tongue. This really helps to boost the children’s confidence especially during those frustrating ESL moments!

Please take a look at this link to the Mother Tongue Power Point Presentation presented to the Staff in November 2006.

www.mothertonguematters.com is a very interesting site about Mother Tongue

Powerpoint presentation Geneva conference.pps