I joined a read-for-kids group in T’s elementary school last month. It is a group of parents volunteering to read to school children in the morning once or twice a month.
Last Wednesday, I read Ten Eggs, a picture book in Taiwanese, for my debut.
The choice was not casual; on both language and identity front, it was a thoughtful pick and a political one. I also wished to make the occasion a window for children to hear a world of many languages with a hope that they will develop a friendly awareness of a world of different people, especially people of minor languages.
Reading in a language that is entirely alien to a class of 9-year-olds was a challenge, so I told them to just listen to the sounds. The children were more receptive and welcoming than I had imagined, and their ears were not yet fossilized by the consciousness of meanings. They even started to imitate the sounds I made toward the end of the session.
Meandering through the languages in my linguistic repertoire, I have started planning what to read next. At some point, perhaps Middle English can be heard in one of the classrooms, too. 
P.s. The book, Ten Eggs, came to my knowledge through Dr. Tsiȯh Bȯk-bîn’s post some time ago, when he reviewed the picture book for a book prize, Akhioh, on books written in Taiwanese.
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