EW Hobbs Primary School commemorated International Mother Tongue Day with literature and traditional dance at Anysberg Street, Ext 2, Eldorado Park on February 20.

The short programme included reading a book titled There Is No Price For Being Kind by Zahida Wahab in English and Sepedi (Northern Sotho), followed by a Muslim song and isiZulu traditional dance.

Learners were taught to greet in various languages and were challenged to greet their teachers in a language other than their home language when they returned to school on Monday.

Deputy principal of EW Hobbs Primary School and creative arts teacher, Alroy Plaatje, said celebrating International Mother Tongue Day is important in promoting cultural diversity and language appreciation among learners.

Plaatje said the school uses interactive learning methods, classroom activities and cultural performances to ensure the day is both educational and engaging.

He said learners were introduced to different languages and cultures, including international examples such as Maori greetings, to help them understand that people communicate differently across the world.

ALSO READ: Excitement and hope as schools reopen for the academic year

“When learners see that greetings and traditions are different, they begin to respect those differences instead of laughing at them,” Plaatje said.

He said this helps reinforce what they learn and encourages cultural awareness beyond the classroom.

He also noted that there are other initiatives at the school, including sign language classes, Namakwa language programmes and cultural recognition badges for learners who participate in extra learning activities.

Plaatje said music, poetry, dance and video clips are used to keep learners engaged while teaching them about different cultural traditions.

He encouraged parents to continue discussions about culture and language at home, saying this helps strengthen respect for diversity and cultural understanding among young learners.

Afrikaans teacher Maureen Patience said teaching Afrikaans as a second language to learners from different cultural backgrounds can be challenging but rewarding when approached correctly.

Patience said many learners at the school come from different areas and sometimes arrive without prior knowledge of Afrikaans, which makes language adaptation difficult at the beginning of the year.

She said educators often have to use multilingual explanations to help learners understand lessons.

ALSO READ: Eldorado Park celebrates strong matric results as top schools shine

“If I do not know their home language, I sometimes ask other learners to help translate so everyone can understand,” she said.

Patience added that she often explains lessons in both English and Afrikaans to improve comprehension.

She said language development is gradual, starting with phonics, then building words and later constructing sentences.

“It is important to start from the root – teach sounds first, then move to reading and sentence construction,” she said.

She added that learners usually show improvement by the end of the year as they become more comfortable with the language.

IsiZulu teacher Snenhlanhla Mariano, who recently joined EW Hobbs Primary School, said teaching IsiZulu as a home language is important in helping learners strengthen their cultural and language identity.

Mariano, who teaches grades one, two and five, said that although learners are able to speak IsiZulu, many struggle with writing sentences, which requires more focused teaching and practice.

She said she is still new to the post, having started this month, but is already developing strategies to help learners improve.

ALSO READ: Eldorado Park SAPS urges safe, bully-free return to school in 2026

Mariano said she often uses music and singing as teaching tools to help learners understand and remember lessons more easily.

“Using songs helps learners engage and makes it easier for them to grasp the language,” she said.