Newcomers use native languages to show global appeal of a P.E.I. classic

Young newcomers to the Island will get the chance to mix their mother tongues with a P.E.I. classic.

Anne of Green Gables has been translated into dozens of languages since its publication in 1908. Now the P.E.I. Association for Newcomers to Canada is recording young people reading authorLucy Maud Montgomery's bookin their own language.

Those readings will be edited into a video to show the global appeal of the book.

"We thought that if we could have some of the youth reading excerpts of Anne of Green Gables in their original languages,it might be a nice little way to get some community engagement going," said Todd MacEwen with the association.

About 12children have signed up so far to read the book, said MacEwen.

"We're hearing from parents and the kids and they loved the book. They read it in a language, whether it is English or their own."

MacEwen saidwork is being done alongside the L.M. Montgomery Institute to select the most well-known passages from the book and provide them in different languages.

"They've got about 25 different international editions. So they're able to provide it in Hindi, Mandarin, Arabic. We've got Italian, Japanese, Korean," he said.

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