Event Held to Commemorate UN Spanish Language Day (April 23)
Linden Hall School Junior & Senior High School held a special event to commemorate UN Spanish Language Day (April 23), aiming to deepen students' understanding of Spanish-speaking culture. Students had the opportunity to engage with the significance of the Spanish language and culture, broadening their international perspectives.
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To commemorate the opening of Spanish Week at our school, a tape-cutting ceremony was held by Mr. Sakamoto, Honorary Consul of Spain in Fukuoka, Vice Principal Kageyama, and students from the Spanish Club.
Linden Hall School Junior & Senior High School (Location: Chikushino City, Fukuoka Prefecture; Principal: Asuka Tsuzuki) held a special event targeting first-year junior high to first-year high school students, and second and third-year high school students belonging to the Spanish Club. This event, commemorating the "UN Spanish Language Day" (April 23) established in 2010, aimed to broaden students' international perspectives and deepen their understanding of multicultural coexistence through language, by inviting officials from the consulate to promote understanding of Spanish language and Spanish-speaking culture.
Additionally, the school designated this day as the start of "Spanish Week" for one week, during which posters related to Spanish-speaking culture and other topics are displayed throughout the school to enhance interest in the Spanish language and culture.
■ Background of the Event
Our school's educational philosophy, "Wakonyosai" (Japanese spirit, Western talent), is about fostering the ability to act independently in international society while valuing the Japanese spirit and understanding diverse cultures. As part of this learning, we focused on the Spanish language, which is increasingly gaining global presence.
Spanish is a major language spoken as a mother tongue by over 500 million people worldwide and is used in many countries in Latin America, including Spain. Particularly, the Latin American region, which includes countries like Mexico and Colombia, is increasing its international importance in the fields of resources and manufacturing, and the value of Spanish is also rising with economic growth. Furthermore, in the United States, the increasing number of Spanish speakers has further strengthened its presence in society.
Moreover, in cultural fields such as music and video, Spanish is spreading across borders. With this event, considering these historical contexts, we aimed to foster a multi-faceted view of the world by having students not only encounter Spanish as a new language but also look at the culture and society behind it. Encountering different values and trying to understand them is the core of our international education and is considered a vital skill for living in the coming era.
■ Event Contents
After our teacher, Mr. Rubio, gave the opening remarks, a video message from Mr. Fernando Curcio, Cultural and Scientific Counselor of the Spanish Embassy in Japan, was screened. He offered words of encouragement to the students of our Spanish Club regarding their Spanish studies and introduced Spanish culture, history, and art.
Mr. Rubio giving the opening remarks; Mr. Fernando Curcio, Cultural and Scientific Counselor of the Spanish Embassy in Japan.
Next, a congratulatory video message from students of Belgrano Day School (Argentina), part of the Round Square international educational network which our school is also a member of, was screened. Afterward, the guest speaker, Mr. Kenji Sakamoto, Honorary Consul of Spain in Fukuoka, took the stage and gave a lecture offering his congratulations on the event and explaining the role and duties of the Honorary Consulate.
Students from Belgrano Day School sending congratulatory messages; Mr. Kenji Sakamoto, Honorary Consul of Spain in Fukuoka, giving a lecture.
In the presentation by our students, a third-year high school student from the Spanish Club, who also chose Spanish for the International Baccalaureate program, spoke about the difficulties and joys of learning Spanish and her future dream of challenging herself to watch authentic soccer in Spain using the language she learned.
A third-year high school student learning Spanish giving a presentation; a letter of appreciation being presented to Honorary Consul Sakamoto and others.
Afterward, to commemorate the opening of Spanish Week, a tape-cutting ceremony was performed by Honorary Consul Sakamoto, and a letter of appreciation was presented by Vice Principal Kageyama to Honorary Consul Sakamoto and Honorary Consulate Director Maruyama.
Posters about Spanish-speaking culture displayed inside the school; Spanish books lined up in front of the library.
Subsequently, everyone moved to the music room, where students gave presentations, and students who chose music as their subject performed "La Bamba," an iconic song of Spanish culture. The event concluded with closing remarks from a student of the Spanish Club.
Junior high second-year student presenting; students performing "La Bamba"; closing remarks given by a second-year high school student.
■ Student Learnings and Comments
・"It was a very fun event. I studied Spanish in 6th grade and enjoyed it, so I joined the Spanish Club. Spanish is very useful, everyone should study it!" (Second-year junior high student)
・"I like learning new languages, so I joined the Spanish Club. I want to learn more about the culture. I also want to hold events. Playing Latin music was difficult at first, but it became fun with practice." (First-year high school student)
・"I joined the Spanish Club because an exchange student from the US last year recommended it after studying Spanish as a second language." (Third-year high school student)
Linden Hall School Junior & Senior High School (Location: Chikushino City, Fukuoka Prefecture; Principal: Asuka Tsuzuki) held a special event targeting first-year junior high to first-year high school students, and second and third-year high school students belonging to the Spanish Club. This event, commemorating the "UN Spanish Language Day" (April 23) established in 2010, aimed to broaden students' international perspectives and deepen their understanding of multicultural coexistence through language, by inviting officials from the consulate to promote understanding of Spanish language and Spanish-speaking culture.
Additionally, the school designated this day as the start of "Spanish Week" for one week, during which posters related to Spanish-speaking culture and other topics are displayed throughout the school to enhance interest in the Spanish language and culture.
■ Background of the Event
Our school's educational philosophy, "Wakonyosai" (Japanese spirit, Western talent), is about fostering the ability to act independently in international society while valuing the Japanese spirit and understanding diverse cultures. As part of this learning, we focused on the Spanish language, which is increasingly gaining global presence.
Spanish is a major language spoken as a mother tongue by over 500 million people worldwide and is used in many countries in Latin America, including Spain. Particularly, the Latin American region, which includes countries like Mexico and Colombia, is increasing its international importance in the fields of resources and manufacturing, and the value of Spanish is also rising with economic growth. Furthermore, in the United States, the increasing number of Spanish speakers has further strengthened its presence in society.
Moreover, in cultural fields such as music and video, Spanish is spreading across borders. With this event, considering these historical contexts, we aimed to foster a multi-faceted view of the world by having students not only encounter Spanish as a new language but also look at the culture and society behind it. Encountering different values and trying to understand them is the core of our international education and is considered a vital skill for living in the coming era.
■ Event Contents
After our teacher, Mr. Rubio, gave the opening remarks, a video message from Mr. Fernando Curcio, Cultural and Scientific Counselor of the Spanish Embassy in Japan, was screened. He offered words of encouragement to the students of our Spanish Club regarding their Spanish studies and introduced Spanish culture, history, and art.
Mr. Rubio giving the opening remarks; Mr. Fernando Curcio, Cultural and Scientific Counselor of the Spanish Embassy in Japan.
Next, a congratulatory video message from students of Belgrano Day School (Argentina), part of the Round Square international educational network which our school is also a member of, was screened. Afterward, the guest speaker, Mr. Kenji Sakamoto, Honorary Consul of Spain in Fukuoka, took the stage and gave a lecture offering his congratulations on the event and explaining the role and duties of the Honorary Consulate.
Students from Belgrano Day School sending congratulatory messages; Mr. Kenji Sakamoto, Honorary Consul of Spain in Fukuoka, giving a lecture.
In the presentation by our students, a third-year high school student from the Spanish Club, who also chose Spanish for the International Baccalaureate program, spoke about the difficulties and joys of learning Spanish and her future dream of challenging herself to watch authentic soccer in Spain using the language she learned.
A third-year high school student learning Spanish giving a presentation; a letter of appreciation being presented to Honorary Consul Sakamoto and others.
Afterward, to commemorate the opening of Spanish Week, a tape-cutting ceremony was performed by Honorary Consul Sakamoto, and a letter of appreciation was presented by Vice Principal Kageyama to Honorary Consul Sakamoto and Honorary Consulate Director Maruyama.
Posters about Spanish-speaking culture displayed inside the school; Spanish books lined up in front of the library.
Subsequently, everyone moved to the music room, where students gave presentations, and students who chose music as their subject performed "La Bamba," an iconic song of Spanish culture. The event concluded with closing remarks from a student of the Spanish Club.
Junior high second-year student presenting; students performing "La Bamba"; closing remarks given by a second-year high school student.
■ Student Learnings and Comments
・"It was a very fun event. I studied Spanish in 6th grade and enjoyed it, so I joined the Spanish Club. Spanish is very useful, everyone should study it!" (Second-year junior high student)
・"I like learning new languages, so I joined the Spanish Club. I want to learn more about the culture. I also want to hold events. Playing Latin music was difficult at first, but it became fun with practice." (First-year high school student)
・"I joined the Spanish Club because an exchange student from the US last year recommended it after studying Spanish as a second language." (Third-year high school student)