We have had a fantastic time celebrating European Day of Languages – not just on the day itself (September 26th), but all of this week!
Pupils and staff from Nursery through to Sixth Form have supported the annual campaign, saluting the importance of the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe, and our school community.
If you missed our report on Acremont Nursery and Pre-Prep’s European Day of Languages celebrations, you can read it here: King’s Ely Acremont Nursery and Pre-Prep celebrate European Day of Languages! – King’s Ely (kingsely.org)
At Prep, there has been a feast of multilingual fun! Registers have been taken in different European languages, and pupils have enjoyed virtual escape rooms, quizzes, and presentations on different European countries and cultures. Students have created fabulous multilingual posters for their classrooms and bookmarks for their pen-pals. Pupils also listened to recordings on the Padlets, where they had to work out which member of staff was speaking, and in which language!
At Senior, the celebrations were launched with a Cathedral Service where students of different nationalities were able to showcase their expertise in a foreign language. Our Chaplain, Revd Dr Lane, even brushed up on her German for the blessing! We also welcomed Mary Gilbey, Managing Director of Anglia Translations Ltd, into school. Mary gave an inspiring presentation, which explored the benefits of learning a second language, not only professionally, but also on a personal level. Students were excited to hear various members of our teaching body speak in a foreign language for the Tutor Group Quiz, not least Mr Shaw speaking in Spanish. Other highlights included a wonderful Flamenco Masterclass, led by Señora Muñoz Garcia, and French and German food tasting sessions.
Mrs Bousquet, who is Head of Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) at King’s Ely Senior, said: “In this day and age, speaking a foreign language is a lifechanging skill to have, as it not only increases your potential earnings, but also allows you to stand out from the crowd in an ever more competitive world. At King’s, we are determined to empower our students with the adequate skills in order to succeed in their future careers. This is why languages really do matter.”