Formally known as the Home Language Campaign, the Road Map Project English Language Learner Work Group and partner OneAmerica relaunched the effort as Speak Your Language. The campaign aims to close the gap in education opportunity for immigrant students by shifting the narrative about immigrant students to highlight their strengths, assets, and resilience. The key strategy is to build public will and positive messaging around multilingualism, emphasizing the importance of supporting and retaining home language to parents, students, educators and policy makers.
The relaunch event included singing from the preschoolers of the Jose Marti Child Development Dual Language Program at El Centro de la Raza; dancing and poetry from West African drummer and singer Sumayya Diop; and a speech about the importance of indigenous language revitalization from Tachini Pete, who is the author of the first Salish-English dictionary.
Read a summary of the event by the International Examiner.
Posted in: English Language Learners