Who learned Mandarin while commuting around the M25? Who learned basic Swahili as a child? Who was born in Wales and speaks English, Italian and French? These were just some of the questions being asked yesterday as students took part in a languages-themed bingo game to celebrate European Day of Languages 2024. This activity, designed by our Modern Foreign Languages department, was not only an excellent way to get us all talking, but a powerful way to celebrate the diversity of our community and the “wonderful polyphony” that fills our corridors every day.
The game saw students dashing around the school making connections, initiating conversations, laughing, learning – all this providing staff with the perfect excuse to showcase our linguistic prowess, and (speaking from personal experience) embarrass ourselves in the process.
In preparation for the day, Mrs Cormack asked staff to share stories of learning and speaking different languages, and this unearthed some absolute gems. One member of staff learned Arabic and Maori while living overseas, another reads Spanish detective novels for fun; one has a Bermudian mum, while others are are various stages of learning Japanese, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. It turns out that we have several bilingual and trilingual members of staff (and at least one member of staff could rightly call themselves a polyglot, with four languages to their name). Above all, as you would expect, we are a community of life-long learners.
It was heartening to see students and staff so engaged in the day, and to see the next wave of modern linguists coming through. The linguistic talents of our staff are, of course, matched by those of our student body. It may surprise you to learn that roughly a sixth of our students speak more than one language or have a parent for whom English is an additional language.
It is no surprise, therefore, that the Modern Foreign Languages department is going from strength to strength. We had cause for celebration this summer when 25% of Spanish GCSEs and 26th% of French GCSEs were awarded Grade 9. We also had individual students taking exams last year in German, Greek, Arabic, Russian and Italian.
Next Thursday, we will welcome staff and students from the St Ursula Gymnasium in Arnsberg Germany, a partnership established many moons ago. Our visitors will share our facilities, eat with us, and enjoy a slice of Brighton life with a game of beach volleyball. It will be a fleeting visit, but the historical link will continue and no doubt new connections will be made.
Now, that leaves me with just enough time to find out who took four languages at GCSE level, who used their German to talk to a taxi driver in Turkey and who learned some indigenous Australian language in the summer.
1. From a statement from the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, on the occasion of the European Day of Languages 2024