Language Learning

Inside and outside the classroom, our linguists have been exploring and promoting linguistic diversity and intercultural awareness.

Mandarin students in Years 7 to 11 have been learning about Mid-Autumn Festival – a harvest moon festival celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. As well as finding out more about how the festival is celebrated throughout China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and other parts of Asia, pupils enjoyed sampling some moon cakes!

To celebrate European Day of Languages, some of our youngest Junior School linguists sang songs and learned to greet each other in 12 different languages with their new French Teacher, whilst Year 6 pupils had the opportunity to teach their classmates their own language – a wonderful way to promote language learning and celebrate the diversity of our community.

In the Senior School, our GCSE German students, who stayed with host families in Berlin last term, welcomed their exchange partners to London. The visitors from Germany were fascinated by our uniform rules and House system, while our pupils were intrigued to see boys in South Hampstead’s classrooms and corridors! Our pupils’ host families took them pumpkin-carving, walking on Primrose Hill, and exploring Chinatown and Camden Market, while the students went on a group outing to watch Matilda the Musical.

Over half term, our A Level French students will embark on work experience placements in the vibrant university city of Lille – a fantastic opportunity to improve their spoken French and confidence in communicating as well as developing an understanding of the world of work, as they take on jobs in shops and restaurants.

Meanwhile, our Head of Modern Foreign Languages continues to teach local primary school pupils French as part of our weekly outreach programme, now running for four years, to promote language learning in the wider community.