On February 27 and 28, students in the ELD (English Language Development) class participated in a two-day cultural exchange that opened their eyes to new traditions while also allowing them to proudly share their own. The class, made up of students whose primary language isn’t English, engaged in a variety of activities led by their teacher, Mr. John, and connected with students from across the world in an experience that highlighted the importance of understanding and celebrating different cultures.

On the first day of the exchange, Mr. John introduced the class to a traditional Filipino folk song called Bahay Kubo. The cheerful tune names various fruits and vegetables commonly grown in the Philippines. Mr. John provided a creative activity to help students engage with the song’s content. “I had them color a picture of a fruit with the Tagalog language and its English translations,” he said. It helped them visualize the song while learning new vocabulary from another language.

The second day was an even more immersive experience. Mr. John arranged a live Q&A session between his current ELD students and five of his former students who live in the Philippines. Despite the vast time difference, the panel of former students stayed up until midnight to be able to connect with students who were once in the same position as they were – learning a new language in a foreign country.

During the session, students asked each other questions about day-to-day life experiences, discussing a wide range of topics—from values and traditions to pop culture and sports. The ELD students learned that one of the most famous people in the Philippines is Broadway singer, Lea Salonga, and that there is a deep respect between young people and elders in Filipino culture.

“I was so impressed with how confidently my students spoke and shared,” Mr. John said. “They were really proud of sharing their heritage, and they were able to engage in that human contact with ease and confidence, and that makes me really proud of them.”

The exchange wasn’t just about learning from others—it was also a chance to share. Students from the ELD class took turns describing customs from their own countries. Abdullah, a Sahuaro student from Afghanistan, said his favorite part of the experience was asking about relationships between people in different cultures. “In my country, we don’t have boyfriends or girlfriends,” he said. He explained how youth in Afghanistan practice courting – getting to know one another for the purpose of a possible marriage match.

Yousf, a student from Syria, enjoyed the discussions as a whole. “My favorite part was talking about all the things,” he said. “In Syria, we have some food, like kippah and shawarma. We always eat it, it’s a famous thing.”

Thanks to this cultural exchange, the ELD class didn’t just gain knowledge—they built connections. With open minds and curious hearts, they showed that while language may differ, human connection is universal.