Rosario Iguin, Academic Advisor with Te Puna Ako, recently took part in a TESOL International Association panel discussion on the Intersectionality of Multilingualism, Sustainability, and Indigenous Knowledges, to mark the UN Decade of Indigenous Languages.
The panel discussed ways to promote linguistic and biocultural diversity, with the hope of fostering more inclusive and sustainable learning environments.
Rosario also addressed the audience on the linguistic realities in Aotearoa – maintaining Tagalog (her heritage language) while at the same time supporting te reo Māori revitalisation.
“Te reo Māori language revitalisation and reclamation is important to me, because it inspires me to value my own language and heritage,” she says.
“My talk was a koha, sharing a snapshot of how multilingual people navigate the linguistic dynamics in Aotearoa – of maintaining a heritage language and supporting the normalisation of te reo Māori.
“I hope to inspire us to see and value the rich linguistic knowledge of our learners, teachers and all kaimahi, and to support them in drawing from this in their learning and teaching.”
You can listen to Rosario’s address here, starting from 29.13” and finishing at 51.40”
Ka tino pai to mahi Rosario