You are all most welcome to join us on Thursday 25th May at 12 noon in The Harty Room, QUB School of Music, when we will be joined by celebrated musician, Eric Bibb. During this lunchtime concert, Eric will perform a number of his popular songs as well as sharing stories from his experiences of playing music and collaborating with other musicians from across the globe.
Eric will be interviewed by Thomas Smith, from the Language Centre at Queen’s. This musical event falls at the beginning of UNESCO Africa week, 2023 and Eric will also be reflecting on the influence of his time in Africa recording and collaborating with local musicians.
This promises to be a wonderful event, and with limited availability, we encourage anyone that is keen to attend to register now in order to avoid disappointment.
This event is free to attend. To register to attend this event, please complete the following form.
The date of 5 May was officially established in 2009 by the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) – an intergovernmental organization that has been in official partnership with UNESCO since 2000, and which brings together peoples with the Portuguese language as one of the foundations of their specific identity – to celebrate the Portuguese language and Lusophone cultures. In 2019, the 40th session of UNESCO’s General Conference decided to proclaim 5 May of each year as “World Portuguese Language Day”.
On this special day, Isabella Souza McLaughlin, a graduate intern at Queen’s Global Marketing, Recruitment and Admissions, shared with us her thoughts and feelings of having a Portuguese-speaking identity.
English version
May 5th is World Portuguese Language Day. The Portuguese language is widespread with speakers across all continents and is an official language in nine countries, including Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Timor Leste, Equatorial Guinea, Macau, Cabo Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe. Additionally, Portuguese is the most widely spoken language in the southern hemisphere.
My name is Isabella and I am Irish-Brazilian. Being Brazilian, speaking Portuguese is part of my daily life. Speaking Portuguese allows me to communicate with my family and friends in Brazil, watch Brazilian movies, read books and listen to Brazilian music. Not only that, speaking Portuguese further helps me learn and understand other languages as Portuguese is rooted in Latin, alongside Italian, Spanish and French. If you listen closely, you may hear similar words spoken in these languages.
How can you get involved in World Portuguese Language Day? Here are some examples:
1. Learn the language: Here at Queen’s University Belfast, the Language Centre has classes in Portuguese (European) and Portuguese (Brazilian). You will be surprised to discover how many words you already know in Portuguese! Such as: Olá, tchau, cobra, açaí, mosquito, samba.
2. Visit a Portuguese-speaking country: If you visit Brazil, with its beautiful nature and delicious food, you will be enchanted by Brazilian culture.
3. Watch movies and listen to music from Portuguese-speaking countries.
Portuguese version
5 de maio Dia Mundial da Língua Portuguesa. O português é uma das línguas que se expandiu no período colonial europeu. Hoje é a língua oficial de 9 países divididos entre Europa, América, África e Ásia.
O maior expoente em termos de extensão territorial e número de falantes é o Brasil. Além disso, é a língua mais falada no hemisfério sul. Porém, o idioma tem status oficial em Angola, Moçambique, Guiné-Bissau, Timor Leste, Guiné Equatorial, Macau, Cabo Verde e São Tomé e Príncipe.
Meu nome é Isabella, sou natural da Irlanda, filha de mãe brasileira e portanto o português faz parte do meu dia a dia, pois em casa minha mãe fala português, também meus tios do Brasil e amigos. Gosto de ler livros, assistir filmes e ouvir música brasileira. Falar português ajuda muito a aprender e entender outros idiomas, pois tem origem no latim, italiano, espanhol e francês, se prestar atenção veremos muita semelhança em palavras nesses idiomas.
Portanto comemorar esse Dia Mundial da Língua Portuguesa é aprender e se surpreender com as palavras conhecidas como: olá, tchau, cobra, açaí, mosquito, samba… Visitar o Brasil com sua beleza natural e sua culinária deliciosa é encantar-se não só com as palavras é também conhecer através de filmes e músicas a riqueza de um país encantador.
Happy Tamil New Year to our QUB Tamil Society and those who celebrate it at Queen’s and elsewhere!
The Tamil Society is a newly ratified Society at Queen’s and they are eager to help a wider audience of students and staff members to get to know their unique culture. Hema from the Society has enthusiastically introduced the Tamil New Year celebration to us.
Tamil Society at the QUB Qulture Roadshow 2023. Image credit: Liang Wang
Tamil New Year, also known as Puthandu (“Puthu” – new; “Andu” – year), is celebrated by Tamils across the world. Falling around the 14th or 15th of April every year, it is a festival not just limited to the Indian subcontinent but is widely celebrated in countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Canada, and more. It marks the beginning of the Tamil calendar year and is considered an auspicious occasion when we pay respect to our elders seeking their blessing to mark a new cycle for good fortune and prosperity. On the day, we use the greeting ‘Puthandu Nalvalthukal” which literally translates to “Happy New Year”. Homes are cleaned and preparations are made for the event on the previous day.
There is an important custom that is part of the traditional celebration which is “Kani”. This is where various items such as fruits, betel leaves, gold jewellery, money, flowers and a mirror are arranged on a tray in the prayer room. This is the first thing members of the household will look at when they wake up the next day so as to bring auspiciousness and prosperity for the new year.
Image credit: Hema
Traditionally, on New Year day priests in temple will prepare “Maruthu Neer” which is water that has been boiled with various fragrant herbs, flowers, and leaves. This water is then placed on heads of all family members during their bath. This ritual is believed to wash away all the negative energies from the previous year and bring in positive energy for the new one. After taking the bath, the New Year is celebrated by wearing new clothes, and particularly traditional Tamil clothes. The entrance of houses is decorated with mango leaves and kolams (made of powdered rice flour). We also offer prayers to God and our ancestors seeking blessings for a prosperous year ahead.
As with all festivals, food always plays an integral part in Tamil New Year. A hearty vegetarian feast is traditionally prepared, alongside a very important dish – Mangai Pachadi – a dish made with raw mango. This dish is believed to represent “Arusuvai” or a variety of tastes (e.g. sweet, astringent, sour, bitter and spicy) to represent a new year that should be filled with all tastes or flavors of life.
In a world that is so fast paced and impermanent, Tamil New Year is a time for new beginnings and hope. It is an occasion to forget the past and look forward to a brighter future. The traditions and customs associated with the festival not only bring joy and happiness but also foster unity and harmony amongst family and friends.
We would also like to send our best wishes to those who are celebrating their New Years (Bengali / Cambodian / Hindu / Lao / Myanmar / Nepali / Thai) on/around the same day.
You are welcome to write posts on your own cultures and contribute them to our celebrating Cultural Diversity at Queen’s for sharing.
Bonjour! Did you know today, the 20th March, is the UN French Language Day? Joyeuse journée de la langue Française !
On this special day, Manon Merle, a French student doing Politics at Queen’s School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics, shared with us her experience of coming to study at Queen’s with her language exchange needs.
I am Manon, a French native speaker studying at Queen’s as an Erasmus student. And there are quite a few Erasmus students from France like me studying on campus! We are very eager to get to know you!
In my home university in France I study political science and am going to apply for a master in the ecological transition. I have decided to study abroad in Belfast mostly to improve my skills in English, to discover new people, a new city, a new culture and a new educational system. Many other French students have the same idea as I have, and we hope to contribute to Queen’s as a vibrant French-speaking community. As I hope this experience here to help me with my English, I recently signed up for the Tandem Language Exchange programme. So, I’ll be happy to promote my native language as well as to learn other languages from you!
To learn French (or the other languages) with us Language Centre, visit www.qub.ac.uk/lc (or scan the QR code) and sign up for the classes which will commence week beginning Monday 24 April 2023.
To find a language partner for language exchange, visit Tandem Language Exchange (TLE) programme. The coming TLE session is scheduled on Wed 22 March between 11:00 and 12:00 at the Training Room 2, McClay Library.
In the annual flagship of the Malaysian Students’ Society of Northern Ireland, we celebrated the joy of preparing and sharing Malaysian hawker-style food.
Photo credit: Xin Yi Beh
Foods and beverages reminiscent of our unique Malaysian childhood were served, including but not limited to teh ais (iced tea with condensed milk), homemade soya milk, nasi kandar (Northern Malaysian gravy and side dishes on steamed rice), Kuih (Malaysian bite-sized savory snacks and desserts) and many more.
It has been a great honor to encourage such togetherness by gathering a bunch of Malaysian food vendors and bringing our Malaysian students as one to enjoy the fruits of our hard work.
They say food is a universal language of love and we remain thankful to be able to deliver this message to our fellow Malaysian students and promote the Malaysian culture to those interested. This one is for the celebration of Malaysian food, the cultural essence of hawker-style cuisine, and the love we share as a society!
Photo credit: Xin Yi Beh
To find more about the M-Fest, click the link below:
We are pleased to have met quite a number of our international students, including the new cohort of Erasmus/Study Abroad students today at the Tandem Language Exchange event and the SU Welcome event at the Graduate School Social Space today! All seemed very keen and enthusiastic about starting their journey of language learning and intercultural exchange at Queen’s and elsewhere.
We look forward to the language course and academic programme start from the next week onward and welcome more students, as well as staff members, to join us in the coming round of enrolment and related events.
The World Arabic Language Day is celebrated every year on 18 December and this year it’s falling on a Sunday. Since 2012 it has been created to mark the day in 1973 that the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted Arabic as the sixth official language of the Organization
About the Arabic Language Day
‘Since its very first celebration in 2012, each year on 18 December UNESCO commemorates World Arabic Language Day, highlighting Arabic’s legacy and immense contribution to humanity.’
‘A pillar of humanity’s shared values, Arabic is a language that brings together people from various cultural, ethnical, religious and social backgrounds. ‘
We would like to invite you to join us in its celebration as part of our Celebrating Cultural Diversity at Queen’s, and don’t forget to say “Happy World Arabic Language Day” to who are speakers of Arabic language and who are learning to speak the language.
If you are considering doing an Arabic language course, you are very welcome to sign up for one of our Arabic courses from beginner to intermediate levels starting in January 2023. For more information and registration, please visit www.qub.ac.uk/lc or scan the QR code on the image.
Happy Diwali to all who celebrate it at Queen’s and elsewhere!
Diwali (Deepavali or Divali), also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Hindu religious festival and one of the most important festivals within Hinduism. Falling on 24th October this year, it generally lasts five days, and is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar month Kartika.
“Hindus, Sikhs and Jains both in India and across the world usually take part by decorating houses and public spaces with thousands of lights, candles and colourful designs. As well as the bright colours and glittering lights, there’s music, dancing, delicious food and a cresting wave of community feeling.”
Nimmy john Lecturer, School of Nursing & midwifery; co-chair of bame & International staff network
Thanks to the Graduate School’s organisation, on Monday 24th October Queen’s students and staff have joined in the celebration of Diwali at the 1st Floor Social Space of the grand ‘Ruskinesque’ Gothic building, with a taste of Indian tea and sweets.
‘Happy Diwali!’ is the most common festival greeting that people use to send their best wishes to each other.
We are very pleased that today, Dr Liang WANG, from the Language Centre, provided a Chinese cultural awareness workshop for the Queen’s Residential Assistant Team who have kicked off their training to welcome international and home students to Queen’s.
While the session had its focus on an understanding of Chinese students, the largest international student body on campus, and the cultures they bring along, the principles of enhancing one’s intercultural awareness and developing intercultural communication skills are essentially applicable to the approach to interacting with all international students, as well as home students from the non-essentialist perspective – embracing cultural diversity, breaking down stereotypes, showing respect, and developing critical cultural awareness.
We hope that our Cultural Awareness training will be helpful to all students, home and abroad, to enhance their life experience while studying at Queen’s. We would like to send our best wishes to the upcoming international students for a successful year ahead.
We are also happy to be contacted for consultation and tailored workshops to suit particular needs relating to language learning and cultural awareness training. For any enquiries, please email us at language@qub.ac.uk.
Congratulations to the launch of the 2022 EPS Summer School at Queen’s! On Monday morning 25th July, we welcomed some 120 international students from China, India and Malaysia via MS Teams.
We hope that the students find our Cultural Awareness session useful and interesting, and get a taste of the local cultures, although they cannot fly to Belfast in person. We look forward to welcoming many of them, if not all, to study at Queen’s in the near future.
About the EPS Summer School
Since 2014, the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS) has welcomed over 500 students from China and across the globe to the annual summer school. In spite of restrictions on travel in 2021, the faculty of EPS successfully launched a virtual summer school. Almost 200 students were welcomed and joined the online programmes.
