There is a famous Arabic saying “ كلَ لسان بإنسان “ or “for each tongue, a person,” meaning that for each language one learns, they add a person to their being or understanding of the world. When we learn a foreign tongue, we learn not only its vocabulary and grammar, but more importantly the culture, philosophy, and history behind it. We learn to see the world and to understand the naming of the shadows through its lens. This starts with some of the most basic and introductory explorations of the language.

For example, in learning that “I like this” in Spanish is “Me gusta esto,” or literally “This is pleasing to me,” we understand that my liking it is secondary to it being pleasing to me. “Esto” or “this” is the subject of the phrase, and I am the indirect object, receiving the pleasure. This points to the other-directed and relational nature of the language and culture. Community is at the center of Hispanic culture, and the individual is seen in relation to it.

Similarly, in learning the basic greetings in Arabic, such as “صباح الخير,” literally “morning of the Good” and “مساء النور,” or “evening of the Light,” we see the theocentric nature of the language and of Arabic-speaking cultures. I experienced one of the most beautiful moments of my career while teaching these greetings this year, trying to get my students to guess the meaning of “النور” by chanting “هلموا خذوا نورا,” the Arabic version of the Troparion “Come Ye Take Light.” One student immediately recognized it as something she sang in the choir. Another as a hymn from Pascha. The third student placed it in the dark church as the priest emerges holding the candle. The fourth student finally recognized it as light. This was such a wonderful moment that could only happen at our school.

At Saint Constantine, our students and community engage in such learning every day, uniquely as members of the body of the Church and through its lens. Our younger students begin by studying English grammar and the classical languages as they begin to understand the world around them, its essence and how it works. In middle school they can start to appreciate more foreign perspectives and views, through art and music and can even choose to take Model United Nations, where they take on the identity of foreign countries whose interests they must accurately represent while debating and solving global issues. In high school they can choose to broaden their horizons with a variety of foreign language offerings and by continuing Model UN. It is such a blessing to see the development of languages and appreciation of world cultures in action!