FEATURES
18 The Linguist Vol/61 No/4 2022
thelinguist.uberflip.com
A look at the multicultural parties where stories are told in the
original languages and marginalised people are given a voice
A
'language party' is a new format of storytelling
event where stories are shared in the original
languages. To date, there have been
language parties around the world, in the US, Australia,
the Philippines, Zimbabwe, France and the UK, with
people telling their stories the way they were meant to
be told, before retelling them in the locally dominant
language. They are a fresh and intimate style of
community-based gathering that celebrate the sea
of languages spoken in our neighbourhoods, towns
and cities.
Storytellers hail from local communities and may
include Indigenous people, migrants and refugees. They
share tales in their mother tongue, then translate the
story into the dominant language of the audience. They
are not professional performers, but living conduits for
languages that are little known or rarely heard. By
speaking and sharing their languages, they forge a
deeper and richer connection to their community, and
enrich our common life.
So what is the purpose of a language party?
Storytelling in the original language enlivens and
enriches communities. It encourages speakers of lesser-
known languages to keep their oral traditions strong.
Audience members have described the experience of
attending shows as "an awakening", "unexpectedly
enjoyable and inspiring", "moving and compelling" and
"a privilege to be part of".
Most of all, the purpose is the relationships that are
created in the process of putting on a language party.
We come together to celebrate the linguistic diversity
in our midst and to connect people who are striving
to keep their languages strong. The ultimate goal is
social change in which urban centres become
welcoming and nurturing spaces for Indigenous and
immigrant people.
In many places around the world, linguistic diversity is
barely tolerated. Many people living in English-speaking
countries have no personal experience of bilingualism;
when they hear someone speaking a different language,
PARTY
PEOPLE
A CELEBRATION
At a language party
in Darwin, Australia,
Prasanthi Silva tells a
story in Sinhalese about
a Yakshi queen (main
image); and (above)
Aunty Bilawara Lee
enjoys the event
IMAGES
©
PAZ
TASSONE
©
STEVEN
BIRD
