Apeejay’s IB school showcases ‘Cultural Cosmos’

Knowledge of languages is a powerful tool to understand, analyse and inculcate thoughts and ideas from across the globe. Why? An individual is best comfortable in their ‘own language’ and if you know it, you can learn so much about him/her. And truly, all things close to the heart will follow from there.

To celebrate the existence of several languages, students of Apeejay School International, South Delhi, participated in an international languages and cultures week-long event. It culminated in a fiesta-cum-exhibition in which exhibits based on languages such as English, Hindi, Spanish, French and Indonesian were displayed. The event was held for learners of the Primary-Years and Diploma Programme of the school.

Throughout the week, students explored various aspects such as flags, dances, foods, music, accessories, and costumes of various countries. They played word games, learned to dance the flamenco, twirled to the traditional ‘taal’ of Kathak and conjured up some yummy delicacies like gado-gado, tacos, rainbow sandwiches, bhel puri and salad niçoise.

As inquisitive learners, they supplemented these activities with research about countries where each of these languages are spoken. On the final day, they were tasked to transform one of the school’s rooms into a wondrous ‘Culture Cosmos’. The exhibits were witnessed by parents, students and teachers as they took a stroll through the cultures of the world, watched beautiful dance performances and savoured halwa, gazpacho, tea and cakes.

An Indonesian student in the school, Regina Hanif says, “My experience at the event was great! I educated my schoolmates about Indonesian culture. I also gave them ‘mirch’ from Indonesia. For those who would like to visit the country, the special attractions are our islands and temples.”

According to the Spanish Facilitator in the school, Ms Kairvee Arora, “I fell in love with the Spanish language in 2015. I learnt it at Instituto Español and eventually, began my career with it. These days, young learners are quite keen to learn foreign languages. Truly, it is the need of the hour because the world is coming together due to globalisation. Spanish is close to English, quite easy to understand and beautiful. To make our students learn at the Language Week, we put in place everything, right from a picture of the Spanish Fighting Bull to the flag and more! At the event, every student had something to learn, it was fascinating! For those who wish to learn Spanish, my word is: The language will grow on you slowly. It helps in future educational and career opportunities too.”

Vedha Jangir, a student of the school says, “I have been learning French in the school for the past 7-8 months. I am picking up on the new language which will be crucial for my higher educational pursuits in Paris. At Language Week, I attempted to translate the beauty of the French language to others. The event enhanced my pronunciation and social skills as well.” Another student, Tejas Kapil says, “I was part of the English language stall at the event. It had tea, language-based games and grammar trivia. Since the language is already predominant in India, many could relate to our exhibit.”

Priyanka Chadha, a student of the school says, “I was part of the India exhibit during the event. I presented the colourful festivals of the country and welcomed the guests with flowers and ‘tika’. Many students at Apeejay are foreign nationals too. They were happy to see the warmth and hospitality of India through our endeavours.”