Karen words are now commonplace at the Havilah Road Preschool.
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Students and staff are using the language in activities, they're using it at mealtimes, and teachers even have common words strung on cards around their neck as a reference.
That's on top of the activities Karen teacher Sei Sei Mu Thein does with the preschoolers to help them learn in the play-based environment.
Nominated supervisor and educational leader at the preschool Lyndall Rye said teachers could communicate with Karen families and children better with the language learning program.
Four children at the Havilah Road Preschool come from Bendigo's Karen community. Many of these students do not speak much English at home.
The preschool began to integrate Karen language into all children's learning as part of the new early childhood language program, which began at the start of Term Two.
Sei Sei Mu Thein reads to Havilah Road Preschool students.
Ms Rye said the preschool had enjoyed a great few weeks of language learning.
Whatever they're doing throughout the day, they ask Ms Mu Thein how they would say it in Karen.
"We have a Karen population here in Bendigo and it's really great to cut down the barriers and have those people feel welcome, and inclusive, to our community," Ms Rye said.
"We want to make sure that we are maintaining that first language, that's really really important and part of the language program.
"We're are able to use the words that we're leaning and all those things throughout our daily routine ... every single day now and it's been really fabulous."
Ms Mu Thein, a member of Bendigo's Karen community, has been teaching the children her language.
At the moment the children are learning basic everyday words such as numbers. She also works with teachers to help them integrate Karen language into their lesson plans.
Not only will it help their brains, but knowing about the Karen community and Karen people will help them too, Ms Mu Thein said.
She enjoys sharing the Karen language with the young learners.
"Most of our community they don't even know and learn about our language any more, so our aim is to teach Karen to our community," Ms Mu Thein said.
"Now that it's going wider than our own community, so it makes me a lot happier to share my language and culture to the wider community as well."
Students were picking up the language well, because teachers were integrating it in a natural way throughout the day, Ms Rye said.
"We're scaffolding their learning to help them communicate and interact and engage with others," Ms Rye said.
"If that means somebody sitting down and supporting a conversation between two people, one that speaks English and one that doesn't, that is helping support their intellectual development and their cognitive development in a really practical hands on way."
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