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Writer's pictureLisa Cha

HLE Network hosts 6th Annual Networking Night, promoting education in all languages

September 30, 2024




More than 50 people attended the event.


On September 26, a special gathering took place in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The event, held at DOMUSDELA in the city center, brought together educators, volunteers, and community representatives for the Sixth Annual HLE (Heritage Language Education) Networking Night. Welcomed by volunteer Gemma, attendees spoke a variety of languages, including Bulgarian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Romanian, and Polish, reflecting the city’s diverse linguistic landscape.




View "HL Highlights" showcasing the recent successes of the programs in our network




The event, supported by the Eindhoven City Council’s "Inclusief Samenleven" program, saw participation from mother tongue school teachers, as well as representatives from organizations such as Holland Expat Center South, Brainport Development, Stichting Taal naar Keuze, Samen voor Eindhoven/Brainport voor Elkaar, Eindhoven Doet, and RADAR/Discriminatie.nl. The goal of the evening was to put in the spotlight the topic of mother tongue education, to celebrate it, and to acknowledge it as an asset to the city.




HLE Network founder Gisi Cannizzaro makes announcements


The evening began with an address by Gisi Cannizzaro, Managing Director of HLE Network and a PhD graduate in Child Language Acquisition from the University of Groningen. Cannizzaro highlighted the organization’s journey since its inception, which started in collaboration with SALTO Schools and Holland Expat Center South to support mother tongue education. She emphasized that access to mother tongue education is a human right, which led her to establish the HLE Network as a non-profit.


Today, Eindhoven is home to more than 156 languages, making it a true international city. HLE Network has been instrumental in supporting various mother tongue programs and teachers who gather at events like this to share challenges, teaching strategies, and ways to improve the quality of their education. These efforts align with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, promoting diversity and inclusivity, which are seen as vital to the city’s continued growth.



Workshops



Piloted during the event were face-to-face professional development workshops, conducted in English and Dutch. Dr. Anna Kijak from the Polish School led a session on managing stress in the classroom, providing practical strategies for teachers facing a variety of challenges. Kirstie Schreurs from Eindhoven Doet offered guidance on procedures for volunteers, while Dr. Vlad Niculescu-Dincă from the Romanian School discussed the importance of integrating STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) into mother tongue education. Niculescu-Dincă, a professor at Leiden University, emphasized that combining language learning with hands-on science activities not only boosts children's language abilities but also enhances their social skills.




Pecha kucha




Following the workshops, attendees reflected on the progress made over the past six years and discussed the way forward. One highlight of the evening was a series of three-minute speeches from event sponsors. A representative from Taal naar Keuze, an organization advocating for the inclusion of languages such as Arabic and Turkish in the Dutch public school curriculum, stressed the importance of integrating these languages as the student population becomes more diverse.


The event provided a valuable opportunity for mother tongue teachers to share insights and bond over common challenges faced by children in multilingual environments. Participants also took photos together at a photo booth and received teaching materials provided by sponsors.




Teaching materials donated to language groups



Zoe Kang from the Korean School, who participated in the event, commented, "Although teaching mother tongues on weekends and late evenings is challenging due to busy schedules, this workshop was meaningful because it allowed us to connect with other teachers, share our struggles, and discuss future directions."



The workshop was meaningful because it allowed us to connect with other teachers

- Zoe Kang, teacher at the Korean School of Eindhoven




Looking ahead, the HLE Network aims to expand its Global Call to Action initiative and to organize more professional development opportunities for mother tongue programs, to maximize their impact. In November, the organization will host the FOHLC Europe Conference, featuring experts in multilingual and mother tongue education from Australia, North America, and the U.K .





Global Call to Action for Heritage Language Education




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