13th October 2021
Last week our Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) department held the long-awaited annual Languages Carousel event to celebrate the nineteenth European Day of Languages, celebrated across Europe since 2002.
In a vibrant atmosphere, college students came together to try out a wide variety of languages ranging from French, German and Spanish to Turkish, Polish and Korean, whilst enjoying a feast of international cuisine.
Students and staff from across the College participated in the event learning new languages, getting in some practice for their courses, and sampling dishes from across the globe.
The event was facilitated by students studying languages at St Brendan’s, and our Language Ambassadors took the lead in running the language activities, organising the international music played and making sure that everyone felt at ease and enjoyed the event.
The event was a fantastic opportunity to foster intercultural awareness and to celebrate the multilingual and multicultural ethos of our College that we are all so proud of!
Ellie, who studies French, German and Geography A-levels, was teaching friends French at the event. She said, “Sometimes when you are learning a language at school it can be a bit intimidating, but learning a language outside of a qualification it makes it easier and really enjoyable.”
“For me, studying a language is not just verbs and tenses - it’s all about communicating with people from different cultures, and learning about different countries. It’s exciting being able to share this with other students.”
Studying the German Goethe-Zertifikat, alongside A-levels in Biology, English Literature and Mathematics, Niamh added, “It’s great to be able to connect with different students over languages. I chose to study the Goethe-Zertifikat with my A-levels as it allows me to keep studying German. I’m keen to develop my knowledge of the language as I hope to visit one day and it would be great to be able to communicate with people when I am there.”
Helena doesn’t study any languages as part of her courses at college but she still enjoys learning about different cultures: “I like learning languages as a social activity. Languages connect communities and it is great fun to learn bits of French, Spanish or any other language with a group of people where you can enjoy good food and good conversation.”
Modern Foreign Languages at St Brendan’s Sixth Form College offers courses in French, Spanish and German, including the Goethe-Zertifikat B1, and a supported self-taught languages a-level, as well as running events and opportunities outside of the classroom for students to expand their language skills and cultural horizons.
Find out more about our courses and how to apply here.
