Witches’ hats, superheroes and flashcards: Islamabad children learn English at a Halloween party

Games, stories and trick-or-treating at the Berlitz Language Institute came with new English words and a glimpse of other cultures

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Collage: a boy in a mask and waistcoat, a girl dressed as Hermione holding a toddler dressed as Harry Potter, a laughing girl in Halloween make-up, and a boy in bat face paint holding a flashcard
From left: a boy in a mask and waistcoat, a girl dressed as Hermione with her little brother as Harry Potter, a girl in Halloween make-up, and a boy in bat face paint with an English flashcard, at the Berlitz Language Institute in Islamabad. — THE THURSDAY TIMES
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— Witches’ hats, masks and English flashcards took over a language school in Islamabad for Halloween, as children arrived at the Berlitz Language Institute dressed as their favourite cartoon characters and superheroes.

Boy in a mask, waistcoat and bow tie beneath bat and ghost decorations and orange and black balloons
A boy in a mask, waistcoat and bow tie walks in beneath bat and ghost decorations at the Berlitz Language Institute in Islamabad. — THE THURSDAY TIMES

The little guests spent the event on games and stories, and went trick-or-treating around the institute, which had been hung with bat, ghost and pumpkin decorations and orange and black balloons. “I am the Batman,” one small boy declared, and a girl said she had come as Hermione, with her little brother as Harry Potter. Adults joined in too, in witch’s hats and masks of their own.

Woman in a gold witch's hat speaking beside a seated woman in a dark robe, with a Berlitz banner behind them
A woman in a gold witch’s hat speaks during the Halloween event at the institute. — THE THURSDAY TIMES

There was a lesson tucked inside the fun. Between the games and the costumes, the children picked up new English words and phrases and got a glimpse of other cultures and traditions, including through word cards laid out on the tables.

Girl in Halloween make-up holding a word card at a table with more cards on it
A girl in Halloween make-up with an English word card, as more cards lie on the table in front of her. — THE THURSDAY TIMES
Girl standing and speaking in a room with witch hat decorations hanging across large windows
A girl speaks to the room as witches’ hats hang across the windows. — THE THURSDAY TIMES
Mahwish Fakhar

Mahwish is a journalist for The Thursday Times' Islamabad bureau.

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