Mother Tongue Other Tongue was devised by staff at the Faculty of Humanities, Languages and Social Science at Manchester Metropolitan University and Routes into Languages North West in 2012. It has since been adopted as a Laureate Education Project and rolled out across the country. In June 2023, in what has become an annual event, Gresham’s pupils from Years 9, 10 and 12 wrote poems for the competition.

There are two categories:

Mother Tongue – pupils whose first language is not English, or who speak another language at home, are encouraged to submit a poem or song in their mother tongue. This can be an original or a ‘remembered’ piece. It can be written in any language, except English. Entries are judged on a short paragraph in which pupils explain the piece and its significance to them.

Other Tongue – pupils learning another language in school are encouraged to get creative with their other tongue and submit an original poem for the competition. 

Massive congratulations to the following pupils who were shortlisted for the final :

Other Tongue

Year 9 (2023): Alastair S and Alice H

Year 10 (2023) : Josh B and Romilly H

Year 12 (2023) :  Kitty R

Their poems will therefore feature in the Mother Tongue Other Tongue anthology, published late this year and pupils will receive a copy.

Four pupils then went on to win the East Region Mother Tongue Other Tongue Poetry Competition. The results were announced at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge last Thursday at the finals event which was part of the Cambridge Festival of Ideas. Congratulations to:

Kitty R – KS5

Josh B and Romilly H (joint) – KS4

Alastair S – Year 9

Each pupil will receive a certificate, trophy and a copy of the anthology of all winning poems, with all works also translated into English.

We have never had so many winners before. Well done to you all on this superb achievement!