#pyro speaks

Shoutout to the sentient alphabet. Love these little guys.

Have you ever wanted to learn a new language? Do you know a second language but have grown rusty from disuse? Guess what, non-English languages are an act of resistance. This is the perfect time to start learning or brushing up on any languages you know that maga idiots hate :) Language learning resources can be found via gamified apps (check reviews, free ones exist), flashcard apps (Anki is my rec), YouTube video lessons, resources of many types via your local library (don't be afraid to make requests! Requests are good!), and on many langblr (language tumblr) blogs.

Learning a whole new language sounds too daunting? Encourage the bilinguals around you to speak anything-but-English and help keep non-English welcome by learning the basic common greetings in their home language(s) (Hello (informal and formal), Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening, Good Night, Bye-bye (as opposed to Goodbye / the formal, long-term absence goodbye), and See You Later)

Want language learning that is easy to practice? Learn through music! Explore the music of artists who don't sing in English. As you learn the lyrics and sing along, your brain will remember individual words. Plus you get more music to listen to. Same goes for television / movies. Throw the subtitles on, have something new to enjoy, remind yourself there are more similarities between your culture and other cultures than differences. And the complexity of your own culture is far deeper than first realized.

Does this seem silly? So small it could not be even remotely helpful? Please reconsider, through this small anecdote from my work:

A new student started halfway through the year. She was a Ukrainian immigrant, due to the timing of her arrival, possibly a refugee. She did not know any English. There was no one in her class who spoke her language. I learned to say привіт (Hello) and every time i saw her, i would say привіт to her. Through the year, and into the following schoolyear, she slowly learned English. And then, she moved. Before she moved, she thanked me for speaking Ukrainian to her. I asked her why. It was only one word. We did not have conversations. I did not even ask How Are You?. And she told me this: You used my language. It made me feel welcomed here.

This is a sentiment I have heard from many of my students since then. "It made me feel like my country is okay" "It made me feel safe" "It made me feel like I could be American and [home ethnicity] (in this case, it was Syrian)" "It made me less nervous about my English" "It made me feel like I belonged" "It made me happy".

"You used my language. It made me feel welcomed here."