A mother preserves the Filipino language through a playgroup in Australia

A Melbourne mum started a playgroup to help her child socialise and maintain fluency in Filipino, taking the initiative to preserve the language.

Credit: Supplied- Nikki de Lima

KEY POINTS

• Mother Nikki de Lima noticed that when kids start school or daycare, they forget how to speak Tagalog.
• Mabuhay playgroup has 547 members and hosts gatherings twice a week, with around 30 families joining on Thursdays and up to 50 families on Saturdays. The sessions include story time, games, and art activities designed to engage children and make learning Tagalog fun and meaningful.
• Studies show that bilingual children have better performance in school.

We gather Filipino families who are interested in teaching their children to speak in Tagalog, so they won’t forget it. Language is deeply tied to culture, and I wanted my daughter to have a way to socialise in Tagalog with other kids.

Nikki de Lima

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

A mother preserves the Filipino language through a playgroup in Australia

SBS Filipino

20/11/202407:46

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