By Jingyuan Sun, Fanshawe College, Early Childhood Leadership. Jingyuan wrote this during her Parents2Partners internship. She believes strong leaders and educators build positive connections with colleagues and families so children can grow up healthy.
Read this in another language
During a session with my mentor, I discovered how powerful storytelling can be across cultures. Our group came from different countries, and we each imitated animal sounds in our own languages. In English, many animal sounds are real words, while in Chinese some are just sounds with no written word. That small moment made me eager to explore other cultures and bring what I learned into practice.
Swapping stories in three languages
Fellow intern Hong and I each chose four books to share and explore in English, Chinese, and Vietnamese. Hearing stories from other communities deepened our appreciation for different traditions and built respect for each other’s languages.
A bridge for language learning
Hearing a story in two languages expands vocabulary and sharpens listening skills. Sharing stories from our own cultures also gave each of us a sense of cultural confidence and identity.
Stories connect us
Our discussions showed that stories are a bridge between people, whatever their language or background. They build empathy and stronger relationships, and they invite us to reflect on our own identities and values. Bringing multicultural storytelling into classrooms helps every voice be heard and creates a truly inclusive environment.
Try it in your classroom
- Invite families to read or tell a favorite story in their home language.
- Pair a picture book in English with the same story in another language.
- Compare how different languages describe animal sounds, greetings, or colors.