Much of what columnist Susan Wozniak recently wrote about newcomers in this country resonated with me and likely many others [”Newcomers will become part of fabric of country,” Recorder, Sept. 28]. Wozniak emphasizes the importance of families preserving their origins, including their languages, traditions and unique heritages.

At the International Language Institute of Massachusetts (ILI), where we offer free English classes to immigrants and refugees, we hear similar sentiments. Many students are eager to learn U.S. norms while staying connected to their own languages and traditions.

At ILI, we see multilingualism as an asset and help students navigate life here without losing touch with their roots. UMass Amherst Professor Rebecca Lorimer Leonard, one of my colleagues on the ILI board, developed the “Literate Mending” project, an innovative writing practice that encourages students to mend the pieces of their language identities that may have drifted or been forced apart. By bringing together students and their families, Literate Mending fosters connection and allows participants to explore their language identities as part of their family stories.

I experienced this firsthand when my mother, originally from Germany, and I joined one of Rebecca’s workshops at ILI. We created language portraits — visual maps of where we feel and connect to different languages in our bodies — helping us explore the intersection of language, family and identity.

This is what we strive to offer every immigrant and refugee at ILI: not just language education, but the space to honor and integrate their cultural backgrounds into their new lives in the U.S.

Sonya Rumpf

President of International Language Institute of Massachusetts board of directors, Northampton