Yorkshire and the Humber

Chinese Language and Culture Workshops

30 Year 8 pupils from Archbishop Sentamu Academy in Hull visited the University of Hull over two days on 28th and 29th September 2010. The day events had been specifically designed to accommodate the learning needs of the pupils who had already begun to study Chinese in their first year at secondary school.

The days kicked off with a presentation on Why Study Languages? and some funny clips about language learning which got the pupils off to thinking about why languages are important, not only for their success in school but looking ahead to University and their future careers.

Then it was up to the teaching rooms in Ferens to start the first Chinese session of the day, devised and delivered by Shu-Mei Li. This lesson focused on Chinese Language and pupils got to learn the basics such as numbers, greetings and how to form basic sentences – putting into practise what they had learnt in their Chinese lessons in Year 7 and building upon this.

After a short break it was back to the hard work and this time pupils got stuck into learning about Chinese characters – what they are, how to read them and then practising how to write them down. It was fascinating to discover that the characters actually look like what they represent. For instance, a picture of one tree means ‘tree’, a picture of two trees means ‘forest’ and a picture of three trees together represents ‘a dense forest’.

A packed lunch was devoured and then it was on to a campus tour for everyone and a chance to look round the university and take a peek into the Library, Students Union and the Language Learning Centre.

The last session of the day looked at Chinese culture and the pupils got a great insight into the way Chinese people celebrate certain festivities and what they are fascinated with – such as circles.

The days were a huge success and this was reflected in the pupils’ feedback:

“I had lots of fun and I have learnt a lot more than what I knew.”

“I have learnt to speak a lot more Chinese. It challenged me by making me learn and remember more facts and phrases.”

“I have learnt a lot about China, also its culture. I enjoyed learning numbers.”

“It was very interesting and I learnt new things about languages.”

The aim is to open these days up to different schools in the future so that more pupils in Hull get the opportunity to learn about a language and culture that is very different from our own.

The Ambassadors DVD

This original and motivating DVD was produced collaboratively by the partner institutions which make up the Routes into Languages Yorkshire and The Humber consortium. This unique DVD tackles the myths surrounding language learning and delves into the world of Language Student Ambassadors as they explain why languages are important for them and their future careers.

The DVD consists of a range of interviews with Language Student Ambassadors as they travel from one university in Yorkshire to another in vintage minis. The interviews are very natural and all the students give their honest opinions about how languages have and will help shape their future.

‘The Ambassadors’ is aimed at 11-18 year olds and will hopefully become an invaluable resource in your school. It can be used in assemblies, at open evenings, in language lessons to help raise the profile of language learning and even on loop in the foyer of school reception areas. It is 20 minutes long but has been broken down into chapters for ease of use.

All schools in the Yorkshire and The Humber will soon be receiving a copy, free of charge!

Alternatively, click here to watch the DVD now!

We would be delighted to receive any feedback you may have about the DVD by emailing: routes@hull.ac.uk .

Any further copies can be ordered using the same email address at a cost of £2 per DVD (including p&p).
 

Gandhi Hall goes Multicultural – European Day of Languages Carnival

Gandhi Hall lived up to its name on Friday 24 September as 140 students from partner schools and colleges came together to celebrate languages and cultures from around the world. In the European Day of Languages Carnival, Leeds Metropolitan University marked a day that is celebrated across Europe.
 

The European Day of Languages, proclaimed by the Council of Europe On 6th December 2001, aims to encourage language learning across Europe and to foster the linguistic legacy of the European Year of Languages 2001. Each year, the European Day of Languages is celebrated to raise awareness of the importance of language learning in the global economy, to promote the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe and to encourage lifelong language learning in and out of school.

This year, we were pleased to welcome students from Airedale High School, Brigshaw High School, David Young Community Academy, Ermysted’s Grammar School for Boys, Minsthorpe Community College, Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College, St Bede’s Catholic Grammar School and St Joseph’s Catholic College. An important objective of the day was to excite their interest in other countries and other languages. This was facilitated by Level 6 students just returned from France and Spain, our new French assistant Chamima Soufou and Erasmus students from Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Norway and Poland. Other activities included an Italian workshop, cultural diversity poetry, a European quiz led Europe Direct Leeds and Chinese paper cutting.

At the close of the event, David Young Community Academy was awarded the Routes into Languages trophy for their contribution to language activities in the course of the year. The atmosphere on the day is best summed up by one school student who turned to me and, without any prompting, stated “I love languages”. This level of enthusiasm will not only enrich her life, but will contribute to the country’s wellbeing in a global economy.
 

Book Launch: Diversity, Poems and reflections by young writers

The launch of a new book, Diversity, poems and reflections by young writers, was celebrated on Friday 24 September in Gandhi Hall. The book, containing poetry and prose written by students from Routes into Languages partner schools, was the outcome of the Young Writers Enterprise Project: my community and noticing the other. School students were invited to write a poem or text of up to 500 words to describe their view of others in a multicultural society. Thirty-five submissions were chosen from entries by Bradford Academy, David Young Community Academy, Ermysted’s Grammar School for Boys, Minsthorpe Community College, Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College, St Bede’s Catholic Grammar School and Trinity Academy.

Entries show that students have reflected on the issue of self-identity and cultural differences. For some students this is a reflection on cultural diversity in their school or home town; for others it is the impact of foreign travel and other cultures on their self-awareness. The project celebrates the young writers’ love of languages in the broader and significant context of cultural differences. Entries include reflections on the students’ experiences with languages and the issues of multilingualism / monolingualism are addressed through the students’ personal reflections.

This project has engaged school students from varied backgrounds and communities in reflection on community, self awareness, multilingualism and “noticing the other” and has helped them learn to articulate their thoughts in writing. The outcome is a valuable and flexible resource for other communities both locally and internationally and may provide opportunities for new contacts and partnerships to develop.

At the book launch, prizes were presented by Rai Shacklock, Subject Group Leader Languages and ELT, to all the young writers in the book. Six submissions given special prominence within the book were awarded trophies. First prize went to Emma Helliwell for But in French I shine and second prize winner Thierry Ngutegure read his poem How is your community? The celebration continued with a poetry reading by Ursula Troche, word artist and multicultural community worker, and workshop activities engaged the school students present with the winning entries and, more broadly, with the themes of languages and cultural diversity.

To take a look at Diversity, poems and reflections by young writers, please click here.

The Routes into Languages National Spelling Bee launches this week, and registrations are now closed.

If you have registered for the competition, resources can be found at the following links:

Teacher's Pack

Word list - French

Word list - German

Word list - Spanish

If you would like to have any copies of these documents sent to you by email, please contact routes@hull.ac.uk
 

In recent weeks, a lot has been said about language-learning in British schools. The following links highlight a selection of news stories on the subject:

•Is it worthwhile learning another language? - BBC Radio 4 Broadcast
•Learning languages still matters
•Learning a foreign language: Now you're talking
•GCSE results: Why we should mind our languages
•Damage to language teaching 'irreparable'
•Should British pupils give up studying French?
•The language crisis in British schools
•GCSE results: Ministers to review language teaching 
•GCSE results: Pupils spurn languages for sciences 

The Routes into Languages Yorkshire and The Humber Spelling Bee resources are now live for the competition running in 2010-11.

Good luck with the competition, and get spelling! If you have not yet registered your school, there is still time to do so, but please have the registration form submitted by the 24th of September.

Music and Languages Days

Music and Languages? Is it really a match made in Heaven or a recipe for disaster? Two groups of Year 10 students from Cottingham High School put the idea to the test on the 2nd and 9th of July 2010. The cross-curricular days (one in German and the other in French) organised and led by Daniela Schwark from the Department of Modern Languages, and funded by Routes into Languages Yorkshire and The Humber, introduced and explored the idea that music and languages go hand in hand and have very strong links, more so than you might initially think.

The days kicked off with a warm up of the voice which involved the brave pupils standing in a circle and producing unusual and at times hysterical sounds to get the voice warmed up and to explore the sounds of the German/French language. Then the first two sessions of the day focused on lyrics and music videos in the target language and involved gap filling and listening exercises, followed by a game of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, testing the pupils’ knowledge learnt in the mornings sessions.

After a tasty lunch and a session in which Daniela taught some language revision techniques, which were aided by music, the pupils were organised into groups of four or five. Their task was to write and rehearse their part of what would be a music show, presented, sung and performed in the target language by the entire group. They were then given extra rehearsal time and the ‘final performance’ was caught on camera (the links to the final music shows can be found at the end of this article). All groups worked well together and the end results were really very impressive, with some pupils showcasing their musical skills as well as their abilities in German or French.

These days were an excellent opportunity for the pupils to develop their language skills in a different arena and to bring out other related skills through the medium of music. Evaluations were completed at the end of each day and pupils had these comments to make about the days as a whole:

“This course has made me become much more confident due to the activities such as performing the songs. It has helped me with pronunciation of difficult German words.”

“I have learnt some good new techniques and improved my skills.”

“I thought the whole day was well thought out and everybody enjoyed themselves. The final performance proved that."

“I have really enjoyed it and everyone loves music so to do it in a different language and be confident with it is amazing.”

“An enjoyable time which allowed us to have fun with the language and music.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed it!”

“It was awesome, wish I could do this all over again!!!”

So there’s the proof – music and languages really are a great combination! If you are interested in attending a similar event at the University of Hull and discovering something new, please contact Routes by emailing: routes@hull.ac.uk
 

The University of Bradford

Thanks to funding from Routes into Languages, St Bede’s School, Heaton, Bradford was able to offer their year 10 MFL students a fifteen week course of basic Mandarin Chinese.

Course tutor Wanyu Zheng from Bradford University made the lessons accessible and challenging, well-structured and fun, incorporating not only basic language skills but also the culture and history of China, instilling in the students the wish to visit the country in the future.

Language tutors are very impressed with the progress they have made. And the students themselves were delighted with the course. “A fantastic opportunity” said one. “I am thrilled I took it.” “Wanyu has inspired me to continue with languages to a higher level and I am grateful for the opportunity we have had”, said another. “I will take a lot of newly learnt skills from this opportunity”, said a third.

What might have been a tough 15 weeks was made easy to follow through the skills of Wanyu, and students would welcome the opportunity to do a similar course again.
 

Language sports day puts children to the test...
On March 24th Sheffield Business School and the faculty of Health & Wellbeing held a 'languages sports day' at The English Institute of Sport in Sheffield which saw local Y10 pupils participating in an inter-school competition combining languages and sport.
The fun and interactive activities, run by sports student ambassadors and Language Assistants, ranged from an assault course where blind-folded pupils were guided by a partner using instructions in another language and creating posters to promote the benefits of hosting major sporting competitions, such as the Olympics, to a final relay race involving all pupils from Handsworth Grange, King Edward VII, Kingstone, Aston Comprehensive and Dearne Schools.
At the end of the event, Olympic, silver medallist winner, Leon Taylor, presented the schools with cheques for sports equipment and posed for pictures with everyone involved.
 

Year 11 students at Wetherby have not only been practising their language skills and looking at French in the business world, but they have been participating in the production of a DVD, due for release in January 2010!!! Following the huge success of the Minsthorpe visit last year, it was decided to develop further this initiative and keep a visual record of the event for the school's website, to act as encouragement to future language learners in the school.

Thanks again must go to Hervé Povéda at Ancon for his welcoming manner and natural rapport with students. Again he made the world of business seem very accessible and students came away with really positive comments.

The film begins with preparatory work at the school and shows Janet Ireland (associate lecturer at the OU) interviewing students about why they are studying French, and how they feel when speaking to the natives. We then follow the journey to Sheffield and the presentation given in French. M Povéda is interviewed in both English and French about the importance of languages in the world of work.

Each student will be given a copy of the DVD as a reminder of the trip, but more importantly it is there to encourage others.

Comments included -

"I found this trip very useful and enjoyable - M. Povéda made it interesting and easy to absorb."
"I feel the day has helped with my confidence in speaking."
"M Povéda is friendly and enthusiastic. I have realised that learning a foreign language will help me in the future."