Yorkshire and the Humber

Pupils get a taste of China at Leeds Met!

School children from across the region celebrated the year of the snake at Leeds Metropolitan University during Chinese New Year in February as they learnt about Chinese culture and language.

Undeterred by sudden heavy snowfall on the day, 50 year 9 pupils, from Brigshaw High School and Language College in Castleford, Roundhay school and Wetherby High School, spent the afternoon at the University, where they had the chance to try calligraphy and paper cutting and enjoyed a taster session in Chinese (Mandarin). Current Leeds Metropolitan language students were on hand to share their experiences of university and the benefits of language learning.

The pupils learnt about Chinese culture throughout the day, whilst finding out why learning a language is so important. All schools involved are engaged in the University’s Routes into Languages project which was set up five years ago to promote languages in secondary schools.

Principal Lecturer in Languages, Graham Webb, commented: “Awareness of other languages and cultures is vital to future generations if we are to maintain our position in an increasingly global commercial and social environment. By celebrating Chinese New Year at Leeds Met in the company of pupils and teachers from our partner schools, we engage them with the culture and language of over one billion people. Through language taster classes and workshops of origami and calligraphy, students are motivated to learn a new language that will promote increased trade and cultural exchanges for future generations.”

Leeds loves Languages!

School pupils from across the region gathered at Leeds Metropolitan University on 1st February 2013 to fuel their love of languages. The Leeds Loves Languages Festival, a joint venture with the University of Leeds, is now in its third year and aims to show the benefits and excitement in learning languages and exploring foreign cultures.

60 pupils from year 12 had the opportunity to engage with speakers of other languages alongside students and tutors from both universities. As well as taking part in conversation classes in languages they are already learning, students participated in taster sessions in lesser-taught languages such as Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Italian and Russian and tried out activities such as origami and calligraphy. During the day pupils learnt about the experiences of current modern languages students and heard from employers about the value of languages in the workplace.

Students’ feedback:

“Brillliant – loved the Year Abroad presentations and learning new languages”

“Thank you for running this event – very informative and fun – has given me a lot of confidence with my French”

On Friday 18th of January pupils from across Yorkshire and the Humber were invited to take part in a pilot event called ‘Play with Languages – using Languages in Computer Games’ at The University of Hull. As the name suggests, the main focus of the day was to motivate pupils and showcase how computer games can be played in different languages and how there are many careers which languages can lead on to, including the gaming world.

30 Year 10 pupils from three schools attended the event: Sydney Smith School, Beverley Grammar School and Bridlington School. The day commenced with a lively introduction from Kerry Dobson, Co-Director of Routes into Languages Yorkshire and The Humber, and then pupils were split into two French groups.

The first language session of the day introduced pupils to computer specific language and technical jargon when using a keyboard and computer. Then they were introduced to RuneScape, the popular fantasy game, which they would be using and playing throughout the day. They got stuck into building their own fantasy characters practising language specific descriptions for hair, clothes, body parts and accessories. They also learnt how to describe enemies and use arms to help them in their game quest, such as spells. Then it was the lunch break which gave the students an opportunity to take a campus tour and they got a glimpse into student life here at the University of Hull.

The second session of the day focused on writing descriptions of their fantasy characters and looking at the game from a French angle. The last part of the day was used to let the pupils have a ‘treat’ and play the game in English.

The day was a great success as pupils gave very positive feedback and commented that the day had be ‘Excellent’,  ‘Fun’ and even ‘Interesting’! Plans are in progress to repeat the event at a later date. Happy gaming!

Claire Barber, Project Manager – Routes into Languages Yorkshire and The Humber

To celebrate the European Day of Languages on 26th September we have asked schools in our region to let us know what plans they have to celebrate this exciting day. Here are some of the news items we got in reply. The top 2 schools with the best ideas will win one of the new Routes into Languages Board games:

Beverley High School

At Beverley High School they are celebrating the 26th in several ways…

• Posters have been created in 11 different languages (Estonian attached) and one will be displayed in each classroom around school. Teachers of all subjects are supporting the message of ‘multilingualism’ by using the poster to greet each class and to say goodbye! (Several teachers have approached to ask if they can use their own second / known language for this!)
• Stickers have been downloaded from the CILT website (‘hello’ in 30 world languages) in produced. Each student will be given one to wear on the school jumper for the day, and they will be encouraged to have a go at greeting each other in this ‘new’ language that day!
• A Fairtrade Languages Café will be run at break time, designed to encourage students to use their French or German (the 2 languages taught here) to order their hot chocolate.
• A reflective presentation will be delivered by all Form Tutors during Tutor Time, highlighting the meaning of multilingualism with examples of famous polyglots and also a young married couple who live locally and who, between them, speak around 10 different languages!
• The school canteen will be serving a themed menu designed by our Student Subject Leaders for Languages. It includes Hungarian goulash, pizza and black forest gateau.

Halifax High SChool

On the agenda the evening before the 26th is their famous Euro café which last year made the local press! Here the Language Ambassadors don false moustaches and professional aprons and wait upon our 150 plus staff, serving European delicacies and pastries in a choice of languages, prompt cards are available on tables for the lesser linguistic members of staff.

Now it’s Euro day! Upon entering the school all pupils will be greeted by a pop up graffiti wall of welcomes in many languages. Throughout their journey through the faculties of school pupils will be amazed and inspired by the pictures and stories of famous Europeans related to that Faculty whilst stepping into different time zones displayed on clocks around school.

What’s in store? A Euro breakky of course! All Year 7’s are invited to a traditional crepe breakfast, served in French by a real French Person!

So the work begins workshops are run throughout the day covering a selection of classes from the full school. Workshops include Capoeira, Flamenco Dancing and the creation of a foreign language DVD.

At tutor time classes will be taking part in a Languages Quiz with prizes attached. All staff will be badged up with their funky language badges. For those not at their tutor base, they will be in assembly watching the Euro News and being dazzled by the Euro performances of their peers. To top the day off pupils will leave to European music and Goodbyes in many languages… and then the staff will sit down for a well-earned Parisian coffee!

Language students from Leeds met are also going in to work with the students on the day and at lunch time all pupils have the chance to attend the Halifax High Kino, where euro popcorn will be avialable to accompany the viewing of an exciting, foreign language block buster!

Beverley Grammar School

At Beverley Grammar School they are doing a workshop with all of year7 to introdocue them to the importance of language learning with quizzes and general knowledge facts and also an opportunity to learn some new greetings in languages not taught at the school.

 Wetherby High School

We launched European Day of Languages to the staff on Tuesday 18 September - this was done in Staff Briefing. The entire briefing from start to finish was held in foreign languages. It certainly got staff talking afterwards and they had to read their briefing notes to find out what had been said! I enlisted the help of staff who speak another language. We had announcements in:
 

 
The announcements were about getting staff to think about what they could do during their lessons and Registration on European Day of Languages itself. The aim was that every lesson that day would have a language element (even just greeting the students in a different language) and reference to other countries/cultures.
 
On Wednesday 26 September the school was decorated with flags in the main entrance and Dining Room and posters with quotes about language learning were put up around school. On the screen in the main entrance there was a powerpoint displaying 'hello' in lots of languages and details about the different languages spoken at Wetherby High. Each member of staff was also provided with a quote about learning languages (in a different language) and a poster with 'hello' in a different language to stick on their door/in their classroom. In the dining hall there were posters with 'Enjoy your meal' in different languages and posters highlighting the countries the food for that day came from.
 
To encourage staff to use different languages/use examples from other countries/cultures in their teaching, there was a comptetion sheet for them to record the activities they were doing.
 
A form competition was also launched for EDL - to research a country and then produce a collective poster/collage about it. To build on the legacy of London 2012 each Year Group (7-11) was assigned a continent and then there was a draw for the countries for each year form group. The countries were chosen from those that had sent both olympic and paralympic teams to London in the Summer. Due to limited time in form period this work is still ongoing and a space will be found in school to display the work after half-term.

And from a school in Derbyshire:

Hope Valley College

• They are having local business people in to talk about how languages can be useful and European signage is being put up around the school (temporary becoming permanent in the near future).
• All other departments will be doing something with a France/Germany/Spain leaning on that day so that food technology will be cooking French food.
• Foreign food will be on sale at the school canteens (French/German/Spanish cuisine), plus free tapas to try
• There will be a launch of the MFL games club (cards, etc) as well as flags and bunting up around the 00-building

The Sheffield Hallam University Languages and Film Summer School

The Sheffield Hallam University Languages and Film Summer School is a three day, non-residential activity open to Year 11 pupils from across the region and aims to prepare students for languages study at A-Level.  Delivered in partnership between university staff, a local film maker and teachers from King Edward VII and Brinsworth schools, pupils participate in language and film workshops before producing their own three minute foreign language films in either French, German or Spanish.   Pupils, teachers and parents are then invited back to an awards screening in the autumn to see their work on the big screen and the chance to take home the award for best film.

This Year's Summer School took place at Sheffield Hallam University on 4th-6th July 2012. Winners of each category will be announced shortly and the films will soon be uploaded.

School children from across the region celebrated the year of the dragon at Leeds Metropolitan University this week as they learnt about Chinese culture and language.

50 year pupils, aged between eleven and 14, from Brigshaw High School and Language College in Castleford, St Bede's Catholic School in Bradford, St Aidan's C of E school in Harrogate and David Young Community Academy in Seacroft, spent a day at the University on the 8th February 2012, where they had the chance to try calligraphy and paper cutting whilst learning Chinese and meeting current Leeds Metropolitan students who shared their experiences of university.

The pupils learnt about Chinese culture throughout the day, whilst finding out why learning a language is so important. All schools involved are engaged in the University’s Routes into Languages project which was set up four years ago to promote languages in secondary schools.

Principal Lecturer in Languages, Graham Webb, commented: “Awareness of other languages and cultures is vital to future generations if we are to maintain our position in an increasingly global commercial and social environment. By celebrating Chinese New Year at Leeds Met in the company of pupils and teachers from our partner schools, we engage them with the culture and language of over one billion people. Through language taster classes and workshops of origami and calligraphy, students are motivated to learn a new language that will promote increased trade and cultural exchanges for future generations.”

Some comments from the day:

“Well organised and fun. Very educational and a good opportunity to speak to people from other cultures and countries”

“A good insight into Chinese culture as well as the language”

Tuesday 21st February 2012– Leeds University and Leeds Metropolitan University

Now in its second year and in a joint venture with the University of Leeds Language Centre, Leeds Metropolitan University helped to host a Languages Festival to celebrate Mardi Gras, literally “fat Tuesday” in French, more commonly known as Shrove Tuesday in the UK and long associated with celebrations and partying in Catholic countries in Europe and further afield. 

As part of the Speak to the Future campaign and the Routes into Languages project over 50 sixth form pupils from schools around Yorkshire were given the opportunity to find out more about the benefits of language learning, to learn about career options, explore the cultures and customs behind the languages and meet current students from the two universities.

After a welcome from the heads of the respective language departments, Dominic Luddy spoke to the pupils about the launch of the “Speak to the Future” Campaign on Facebook. There followed a careers talk, where pupils could find out about the opportunities in the workplace for language speakers and to round off the day final year students from both universities presented their experiences and the many advantages of spending a year abroad.

During the day pupils took part in “A” level conversation classes in French, German or Spanish and had the opportunity to try out language taster sessions in Arabic, Italian, Japanese, Linguistics, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian and Thai. Pupils also had the opportunity to visit stands, which gave them information about studying languages at University and Abroad, the National Network for Interpreting were also present and students could try out activities such as calligraphy and origami.

The day was deemed a great success and we hope to repeat it again next year:

‘The event was great, really insightful.  I loved the language taster sessions’

‘This day has helped me confirm that I wish to study German at university.  It also encouraged me to pick up new languages such as Japanese’

‘It has been a really interesting day and I’ve liked learning less common languages’