Love of languages draws youngsters to Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival – Gulf Today

Love of languages draws youngsters to Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival – Gulf Today

Marie makes the most of her time at the SCRF.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The ongoing 15th annual Sharjah Children's Reading Festival (SCRF) is much more than a grand celebration of books and reading. It is a melting pot of cultures, languages and diverse experiences. One of the festival's most exciting aspects is its role in introducing young children to foreign languages that they may not encounter at home or in school, say parents.

 Abdulakader, just a year old.

 Mahim Meredova and her kids Lale, 7, Khan Murat, 4

“I know English and I speak Arabic at home while I am learning French in school. But now I want to add Spanish to my language list and I was excited to find books that’ll teach me the language,” said the student of Al Mawakeb school.

Meanwhile, for someone like Lale Meredova, who speaks Russian, Turkmen and English, SCRF is an exciting adventure that allows her to explore the world through languages. "This is my first SCRF visit, and I love it because I get to learn new languages and make new friends from different countries. It's so much fun,” said the seven-year-old from Turkmenistan’s capital of Ashgabat. She moved to the UAE just last