Page 21 - Autumn 2018 Echo AVE

Modern Foreign Language 19

european Day of languages Celebrated

The College has been celebrating European Day of Languages with a whole week of exciting activities and
events. Year 12 students delivered several assemblies to the lower school, humorously highlighting the benefits
of learning a language for work and pleasure.
Our incredibly successful Bake Off competitors presented their outstanding creations. From flag themed
biscuits to the eiffel tower. the languages Department really enjoyed tasting all the creations and judging a
variety of categories. the overall winner won a traditional german Schultüte (school cone), filled with school
supplies, sweets and prizes.
50 tutor groups entering the european Day of languages Quiz and Mr Bechley’s Year 7 tutor group had the
highest score and they too won a german Schultüte. An internationally themed menu was on offer and many
staff could be seen embracing the day in national dress.
Primary linguists from some of our partner schools visited the College to take part in French and Spanish
Workshops. Students practised their skills with French role plays, model building and creating imaginative
Alebrijes (imaginary creatures), complete with full Spanish descriptions. Reaching beyond europe on thursday
the Japanese Club hosted a Manga film and the week culminated on Friday with the launch of our fantastic
Year 7 trips to Normandy and Murcia. Students were absolutely buzzing with anticipation and eager to find out
more about these exciting visits. what a fantastic week!

Students explore enchanting german Christmas Markets

In November, students studying German from Years 8 to13, visited the enchanting German Christmas markets.
the group stayed in the centre of Aachen and began their stay with a night time visit sampling delicious
‘heisse Schokolade’ and traditional ‘Curry Wurst’.
the next day started with a visit to the Markt der herzen where the students showed a keen interest in both the
bustling stalls and the historic Dom, taking time to walk through and admire the beautiful stained glass and
light a candle. A short walk followed to Markt der engel where the students enjoyed the traditional german
lebkuchen, inscribed with the famous ‘Ich liebe dich’ motto.
Next was the moment the students had all been waiting for: the lindt chocolate factory! An enthusiastic
guide led students through the museum section, explaining the history and process of deriving chocolate. the
guides were really impressed with the students’ conduct and participation in the tour and gave them a
glowing review.
Aachen centre was the destination for Sunday where the students perused the variety of stalls and visited the
Aachen cathedral, revealing a beautiful church with gold leaf ceilings and detailed stained glass. After some
exploring of the town it was time to start the journey home, tired but with a host of fantastic memories.