By Mme Helm (Head of MFL)
Our Assembly Hall was full of energy as we celebrated the European Day of Languages, officially on Friday 26th September. Years 10 and 11 joined the celebrations on Friday, while Years 7, 8 and 9 took part on Monday 29th September, enjoying the wide variety of languages spoken across our school community.
During the Assemblies, students were challenged to identify the language spoken in one of their favourite Disney movies. They listened to about 30 seconds of a Disney film from Aladdin to Coco, and we were surprised that some students managed a perfect 10 out of 10.
The assembly was not just about having fun with languages but also about recognising the languages many of our students speak at home. It was an opportunity to shine a spotlight on past students who have taken a GCSE in a language not taught in school, and to encourage current students to do the same. We love to celebrate the richness that these home languages bring to our school, and in some language lessons this week, students introduced aspects of their home languages.
We also had a whole week of language-related activities, including competitions and one-off lunch clubs. On Monday, we launched the Duolingo club, inviting students to join the Duolingo class, collect their XPs, and keep up with their streaks. This was a reminder that our students can choose to study a language as a skill for their DofE Award, and we can support them and assess their progress. It was also a perfect opportunity to launch the Goethe Institute Gimagine Award, which can also count towards the Duke of Edinburgh. Charlotte (Year 8) is our first participant in that German online language course with a global outlook.
On Wednesdays and Fridays, we enjoyed a number of Eurovision quizzes, from emoji challenges to guessing the country. On Wednesday, the Jewellery Club hosted a special takeover where students created bracelets in the colours of a home language they speak. Year 8 students, Liliana, Samika and Isabella made beautiful designs inspired by the flags of the languages they know.
On Thursday, the sunshine allowed us to play Pétanque outside with students in Years 7 and 8, supported by the Lower students and several French teachers who were keen to join the competition.
This year’s theme for the European Day of Languages is Opening minds, opening hearts, encouraging students to use a Head or Heart outline and fill it with words to explore how languages open doors to global citizenship, fostering empathy, connection and understanding across cultures. Below is a wonderful entry from Poppy in Year 8.
To round off the week, we launched our new BGS MFL Instagram account. Do give us a follow to see more of the exciting activities taking place in our classrooms
Thank you to everyone who participated in making the European Day of Languages a success and for helping celebrate the wonderful linguistic diversity that makes our community unique.
