Newsletter from the Hymers College MFL Department • Issue 2
During this half term, the Language and Culture Club has welcomed a variety of speakers who have given us an insight into a variety of topics such as the year abroad and career opportunities with languages, as well as learning about the culture of Uzbekistan! Stella Hodkin Old Hymerian Stella Hodkin provided a fascinating presentation, involving the nature of her work as the Head of Language Services at Translators without Borders | Social Media Manager at Women in Localization Italy. Stella never considered becoming a translator after university but with some exploration, she found herself with 20 years of experience in the language service industry, holding a variety of roles: freelance translator, inhouse translator, communication manager and marketing director at a global top 100 language service provider. It was interesting to hear Stella’s perspective on how to find the right career for you, she
was not always 100% certain of where she saw herself later on in life, but that taking every opportunity as it comes or having a more natural approach to your career path will prove worthwhile in the end. Stella’s enthusiasm when mentioning her experience as a member at Translators Without Borders really shone through and it was clear to see just how passionate she is about this project. Their mission is to ‘help people get the information that they need and more importantly, to hear what they are saying and to promote marginalised languages!’ Stella recognises the challenges of learning a language as bilingualism doesn’t come automatically, albeit she wishes to learn Swahili in the future, one of the most spoken languages in Africa! Shreya
Matthew Harrison Who knew science and languages would compliment each other so well? We had the opportunity to speak to Matthew Harrison, a Multilingual science and marketing graduate with degrees in Physics and Applied Languages. Matthew specialises in marketing and communications as well as having formal qualifications in French and Chinese and speaks a variety of fascinating languages including Spanish, Polish and German. It was a delight for us to hear from someone who has experienced living, studying, and working abroad in France and China. What Matthew has learned from his time abroad and how it changed him as a person, ‘as soon as I was abroad, I felt the urge to go looking for the opportunities which I never had in England’ has really encouraged us to explore the chance to study or work abroad to get a flavour for a different lifestyle! From a young age, Matthew was not really exposed to languages and as a result of growing up in a monolingual family, he turned to school which gave him the foundation to explore French and this led to him developing a lifelong interest in languages thanks to the support from Hymers! When asked the ambiguous ‘what does languages mean to you?’ question, Mathew mentioned how he approaches language learning in a particular way, recognising that learning any language as an adult requires a more analytical approach than naturally learning them at a young age. You’re constantly looking for more scientific patterns whether that be in constructing grammar or formulating sentences in your head. Shreya
‘Languages open your horizons and expand the world from your little corner, and you either use it or lose it!’ - Matthew Harrison
Elena Wolf
Daniel Pashley
Ella Khulusi
During Covid travel restrictions, Elena Wolf brought Uzbekistan to us! An ethnic Russian who was born and raised in Uzbekistan, Elena discussed a plethora of topics with us, from the Soviet Union to the infamous Silk Road.
Some of our most recent speakers have provided us an insight into the many careers that require languages and through Daniel Pashley, an EU Conference Interpreter, we were able to learn more about the world of interpreting. Daniel initially gave a presentation about his current job as an interpreter, in which he spoke about the need to know your languages “inside out”, as the fast pace means there is no time to look up words. With his languages of French, German, Swedish and Dutch, Daniel seemed to think it was his German that had interested the EU, given that there are a decreasing number of English native speakers who speak it.
As the time nears for Year 12 to begin considering University courses, personal statements and so on, it was extremely beneficial to have had the privilege of speaking to Ella Khulusi, an Old Hymerian now studying French and Linguistics at Oxford University. We discussed the competitive application process for Oxbridge, her experience at Oxford University and her experience in general of continuing language studies at University. Her clear passion for languages, and linguistics was very inspirational to many of us. As we have not had experience with linguistics before, it was very insightful to see the breadth of what languages consist of. This was fascinating! Ella provided some valuable advice to anyone considering Oxbridge or simply for the application process for languages, which was that you have to show drive and extra independent curiosity! Whether through reading or watching films in a language, taking the independent initiative is extremely beneficial for applications but also for developing a better grasp of the language and culture for yourself! Marie
We looked at post-Soviet Uzbekistan and its relationship with Russia and the advantages and disadvantages of growing up in a multicultural environment and the identity struggles and instability that often follow. She talked to us about her struggles with maintaining her mother tongue, Uzbek, especially during the Soviet Union where Russian was so heavily enforced. We loved hearing aswell about Uzbek culture and Elena couldn’t mask just how passionate she was about her heritage! It was no surprise to us to hear how welcoming the Uzbek people are and the integral part that family and food play in the culture! As Elena suggested, you will always be welcome in Uzbekistan! Helena
When he was younger, Daniel had always been attracted to the idea of interpreting but thought it was only something people who had been brought up bilingual could do, and he showed us that is obviously not the case! His languages had also been extremely useful during his time working in broadcast journalism, as he could report on stories in any of the countries where his languages were spoken. One of Daniel’s most useful pieces of advice to us was to work on our English as it is our most important tool! Whether that is in interpreting or journalism, your English needs to be excellent as you will be working with it as much as your other languages. Lexie Click the link to read a BBC news article about the work of ‘parliamentary polyglots’ featuring Daniel!
On behalf of the Language and Culture Club, we would like to thank all of the speakers we have had since the first meeting of the club in January of this year! Through these speakers we have all gained a greater knowledge of more cultures around the world in addition to the rewards of language learning. Finally, we would like to invite you to join us at the Language and Culture Club next year where we will be talking to more fascinating speakers!
Ramadan
by Nuria Shafqat
With Ramadan having recently been observed by Muslims all over the world and many pupils here at Hymers, we were delighted to speak to Nuria and find out more about it! What is Ramadan? Ramadan takes place during the ninth month of the lunar-Islamic calendar where Muslims fast from sunrise until sunset. The lunar-Islamic calendar has a total of 355 days, meaning every year (according to the Gregorian calendar), Ramadan begins 11-12 days earlier than the previous year. (It would take 33 Islamic years for Ramadan to return to the same place on the Gregorian calendar!)
What happens during Ramadan? During Ramadan, those taking part abstain from food and drink, as well as anything indecent or excessive, from sunrise until sunset. Just before sunrise, there is a time period where Muslims eat and drink as preparation for the next day’s fast which is called suhoor (although there are other names for it such as sehri).
The time when the fast is broken after sunset is called iftar, and it is typical for a Muslim to break it through water and a date. One misconception is that Muslims are still allowed to have water during the fast, however this isn’t true and this is only allowed between iftar and suhoor. As well as engaging in the fast, Muslims should continue with their 5 daily prayers and they are encouraged to read the Qur’an, the Holy book of Islam. During Ramadan, Muslims give to charity to fulfill one of the 5 pillars of Islam, called Zakat.
Why do Muslims fast? Fasting teaches Muslims how to become more disciplined. Muslims overcome the temptation of eating and drinking, as well as other excessive worldly activities, throughout the day, which allows them to strengthen their faith and become closer to God, so that after Ramadan they can still control any temptations which may go against Islamic beliefs.
Who takes part in it? Fasting during the month of Ramadan is obligatory for Muslims. However, children who have not reached the age of puberty, the elderly, those who are travelling, those who are mentally or physically incapable of fasting, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and those who are menstruating are exempt.
Muslims also fast because they can gain an understanding of those who are not as lucky to have food and water around them. It teaches Muslims not only to be grateful for what they have, but to help those in need.
What happens at the end of Ramadan? There is a special festival called Eid al-Fitr, also known as “The Festival of Breaking the Fast”, which marks the end of Ramadan. This three-day festival is typically celebrated by exchanging gifts and meeting with friends and family. During Eid, there is a special type of charitable giving called Zakat al-fitr.
Fun Fact: The word
“Ramadan” is from the Arabic root ramida or ar-ramad, which means scorching heat or dryness. This is because Ramadan is thought to burn the sins of the believers.
Quotes from the Year 13 Leavers With our Year 13 Linguists’ time at Hymers coming to an end, we decided to find out what they had found most enjoyable about the courses they have been taking, whether that be in Spanish, French German or Latin!
“
such a close knit group. This has been great when learning about French culture as we all share our own experiences which provokes a discussion which makes the learning experience even more enjoyable. Not only this but the two French teachers are both lovely and so supportive, which really helped with my learning.”
Isabella Penna - French “Learning a new language, and more specifically about an entire culture linked with it, has enabled me to make links and sense of the world around me in different ways. I also have loved the discussionstyle lessons, and being taught by enthusiastic teachers who care.
Laura van Diesen - French
“I’ve enjoyed learning about the history and traditions of Germany, whilst developing my language skills.”
“I have most enjoyed learning not only about the language but France itself, and learning how the idioms and phrases of a language influence how we express ourselves. I especially enjoyed writing creatively in a foreign language.”
Gina de Lancey - German
Amelia Simmons - French
Amisha Pai - German
“The opportunity to learn about current issues within the German-speaking world has been very interesting.”
Hannah Kraus - French and German
“I have really enjoyed learning about the history and culture of the two countries through the language. I’ve also enjoyed working in a class with a small group of people who all get along and support each other along the course, because it’s such a friendly working environment.”
Hattie Roberts - French
“My A-Level class has been very small, being 6 including myself. As normally a smaller group chooses to learn a language at A-Level, it has been nice as we have all become
“It’s difficult to choose only one thing, but I think I’ve enjoyed the variety of the course the most. I’ve had the opportunity to explore French literature, cinema, culture and history all in one course - all the topics were exciting and engaging! I have great memories from French lessons with Madame Humblet and Madame Daflon, which I will always remember!
Zala Korosec - French “The creativity that the French language allows for makes studying so enjoyable, as all of the subjects and course topics are fascinating, and true to life. It combines history, language and culture to create a subject that is unlike any other. I have thoroughly enjoyed the World War 2 topic and reading a novel based on the events, which broadened my horizons.
Charlotte Taylor - Latin “The small class size and the amazing teaching! It has been my favourite A-Level and I will take away many happy memories of time spent in CL. The teachers have been supportive throughout, I’m sure I will miss the Classics department next year!
”
Amelia Simmons - Latin
Lucy de Kok - Spanish
Gemma Wood - Spanish
“Latin A-Level has been an amazing experience. The course was engaging and varied, my class was supportive and the small class size made the environment in the lessons so friendly, and my teachers are phenomenal!”
“Being surrounded by a supportive community and learning about a different culture, in a fun and engaging way.”
“I really enjoyed learning about the Spanish history and culture as well as the language. The topics have all been so useful and interesting. Learning Spanish has been a lot different to my other subjects as it’s very engaging and enjoyable.”
Elly Hong - Spanish
“The course allows you to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Learning new words and the nuances of the Spanish language has been extremely fulfilling, especially in such a fun and supportive environment.”
Praketh Lanka - Spanish
“Each and every lesson has been fantastic. They have been interactive and with the small class size we all feel extremely comfortable and confident when expressing our ideas. All the themes have been interesting, especially when we learnt about Hispanic culture and the different festivals.”
Guillaume Boa - Spanish
“What I like the most about the course is the many different aspects of Spanish-speaking society we explore. I particularly enjoyed learning about the civil war and the changing roles of family. The teachers also make the lessons very entertaining.”
Isabella Penna - Latin “EVERYTHING! - Had brilliantly personalised teaching, so many links between Latin and my other subjects and it improved my grasp on English grammar. Also interesting and engaging texts, challenging skills (e.g. English into Latin) but highly satisfying and rewarding.
Hattie Wilson-Mason Spanish
“I enjoyed the breadth of topics learned and appreciating Spanish culture. Whilst it is challenging, it feels different to other subjects as it’s very engaging and enjoyable.”
Zala Korosec - Spanish
“I have enjoyed the diversity that the course content has offered. The lessons are always entertaining and do not feel like you are in a normal school subject. The content is useful and interesting, which always leads to class discussions and debates. I have enjoyed every moment and look forward to Uni.”
Nuria Shafqat - Spanish
“My favourite part of the Spanish A-Level course has been the diversity of the A-Level - not only do you learn the language itself, but you explore different themes such as the history of Spain, immigration, music, and festivals. I also loved doing the IRP because we could do it on whatever topic we chose which allowed us to combine the A-Level with our own interests.”
Classics at Hymers Classics at Hymers has expanded even further by an Ancient Greek club being added at lunch! Here you can learn more about both Ancient Greek and Latin at Hymers and how fascinating these classical languages are!
Αρχή σοφίας ονομάτων επίσκεψις. The investigation of the meaning of words is the beginning of wisdom - Antisthenes
Latin: There is so much to enjoy in Latin - the endlessly fascinating stories of the past, the satisfaction of crafting a stylish sentence into Latin and the light bulb moment when the intricacies of Latin grammar (and often English as well!) finally become clear. Our small classes at GCSE and A level provide an opportunity to explore the language, the literature, the culture and the society of Ancient Rome. From werewolves and curses at GCSE to revolts, epic warfare and the sheer delight of crafting an impersonal gerundive of obligation at A level, Latin builds your skills in meticulous analysis, linguistic dexterity, critical thinking and literary appreciation. Our option to study Classical Civilisation at A level now provides a wider access to the ancient past, working with texts in translation. ‘Due to the highly organised and logical nature of the language, studying Latin
changes your approach to language learning and forces you to adopt a much more analytical technique. Insights into English vocabulary, the structure and meaning of English words (especially longer and more complicated ones) can also be gained by studying Latin and it provides a key to the Romance languages, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese etc. Latin is the universal language of Western civilization, and Latin can provide the blueprint for any language we may learn: German, Russian, Chinese, or any other!’
Helena Mills, Year 12
Ancient Greek: It has been thrilling to start up a lunchtime Ancient Greek course for our Year 10s and, more recently, Year 9s who are keen to add another string to their classical bow. Once
you have grasped the alphabet and the inconvenience of having to decline the word “the” in Greek, the similarities with Latin are immediately apparent, not to mention the wealth of words in our vocabulary that are derived from Greek. We are delighted to be taking part in a national pilot programme to enable our Y10 cohort to sit a brand new Level 1 entry qualification in Ancient Greek in 2022. We hope to continue with this in the future years. “In Ancient Greek Club, we work our way through a textbook for beginner hellenophiles, eventually translating texts such as Aesop’s many fables. The grammar and syntax we go through are both similar and dissimilar to Latin, which provides us with familiarity as well as a challenge, and anything we don’t quite get is enthusiastically resolved by Dr Main’s and Mrs Dickinson’s mimes, mnemonics, and sayings.” James Grundy, Year 10
Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas. Fortunate, he who was able to know the causes of things.
Issues in MFL CURRENT ISSUES FRANCE : Rachid Actualité Olympique. Activités du CIO PRÉSIDENT
Prolongation du permis de travail au Canada
S’exprimant lors de la dernière réunion de la commission de coordination du CIO pour les jeux olympiques et paralympiques Tokyo 2020, le président du CIO, Thomas Bach, a déclaré : À seulement 65 jours de la cérémonie d’ouverture, nous sommes désormais très concentrés sur la livraison des jeux. Les athlètes du monde entier sont reconnaissants au Japon pour ses préparatifs diligents et attendent avec impatience des jeux olympiques et paralympiques sûrs et sécurisés où ils pourront briller.
En Janvier dernier, le gouvernement du Canada a annoncé une nouvelle politique qui donnera aux anciens étudiants étrangers qui possèdent ou ont déjà un permis de travail postdiplome (PTPD) la possibilité de demander un permis de travail ouvert qui leur permettra de continuer à vivre et à travailler au Canada.
Actualités et informations sur le Brexit Depuis le premier Janvier 2021, les déclarations en douane sont devenues obligatoires lors du transport de marchandises entre le Royaume-Uni et L’UE. Read more
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CURRENT ISSUES SPAIN : Luisa España frena campaña de sellos acusada de racista El servicio postal presentó «Equality Stamps», una colección de cuatro sellos destinados a representar diferentes colores de piel. El más claro de los sellos costaba 90 centavos más que el sello más oscuro. La campaña solo duró tres días ya que fue ampliamente criticada tras ser acusada por perpetuar el racismo. Read more
La princesa Leonor y su primer acto en solitario: nervios, emoción y apoyo popular La princesa Leonor, de 15 años ha estrenado su agenda en solitario.Fue al Instituto Cervantes, con motivo de la celebración de los 30 años de la creación de la institución, dedicada a promocionar el idioma español y difundir la cultura española e hispanoamericana. Un acto que marca un antes y un después en la vida oficial de la heredera de la corona española. Read more
La religión ya no significa nada para casi la mitad de los jóvenes españoles Para casi el 50 % de los jóvenes españoles, la religión no tiene ninguna importancia en sus vidas. Los jóvenes para quienes la religión es muy importante han pasado del 8,3 % al 5,9% en apenas cuatro años. El porcentaje de ateos aumenta algo, pero no en tanta proporción. Read more
CURRENT ISSUES GERMANY : Florence Wohlfühlen, jetzt auch für Turnerinnen Turnerinnen tragen erstmals lange Hosen bei Europameisterschaft in der Schweiz. Die deutschen Turnerinnen setzen bei der EM mit langen Anzügen ein Zeichen für Selbstbestimmung und machen klar: “Es geht uns nicht darum, dass wir sagen, es soll sich jetzt jede Turnerin bedecken.” Das Wettkampf-Reglement im Turnen erlaubt schon seit Längerem das Tragen von langen, eng anliegenden Hosen unter den üblichen Anzügen Ganzkörperanzüge, nur wurden bisher die wenigsten Sportlerinnen dazu ermutigt, ihr Körpergefühl über alles zu stellen. Es ist eine vielschichtige Angelegenheit. “Niemand sollte gezwungen
werden, sich in einer Sportart aufgrund der Bekleidung unwohl zu fühlen“ sagt Bundestrainerin Ulla Koch. „Da wollten wir ein bisschen ausbrechen und sagen: Nur weil es schon immer so war, muss es nicht immer so bleiben“ sagt Turnerin Elisabeth Seitz. Read more
„Diversity United“ im Flughafen Tempelhof 85 Künstler zeigen die kulturelle Vielfalt Europas. „Diversity United“ heißt eine große Ausstellung, die am Mittwoch am Flughafen Tempelhof beginnt, und die
sich vorgenommen hat, „das künstlerische Gesicht Europas“ zu zeigen. Wie sollte es aussehen, das künstlerische Gesicht eines Kontinents, der von Zypern über England bis Sibirien reicht? In der Vielfalt liegt Europas gemeinsamer Nenner. 85 Künstlerinnen und Künstler aus 34 Ländern sind dabei, und meisten Künstler präsentieren sich mit je einer Arbeit oder Werkserie rund um die Themen Demokratie und Krise, Solidarität und Spaltung, Freiheit, Migration, Territorium und Identität. Es finden sich Kommentare auf die globale Biodiversität von der in Estland geborenen Künstlerin Katja Novitskova ebenso wie Henrike Naumanns Ost-Wohnzimmer, das den Wurzeln des Extremismus nachspürt. Read more
Taking Languages Beyond Some of our Year 13s will be further pursuing their languages at University in the coming months and they have let us know all about their courses and how doing languages at Hymers has helped them prepare! I am planning to study Global Hospitality Management at Les Roches in Spain. I find hotels and luxury businesses really interesting so this course was perfect for me, especially as it will allow me to use my Spanish with native speakers. It also offers modules in other languages which was one of the main reasons why I chose this university because I would love to learn as many languages as possible so that I can travel the world and learn about other cultures.
After Hymers, I hope to study International Relations with Spanish, as a joint honours degree at Exeter University. I chose this course because of its depth, which will allow me to discover new topics of interest as well as continuing with my love for Spanish. I think Hymers truly prepared me for university life, as we have completed Independent Research Projects to aid our individual
Jessica Dixon
learning. Speaking sessions with Luisa (the speaking assistant) were always an enjoyable learning experience, which I will really miss next year. Studying languages at Hymers was always an entertaining lesson which inspired me to continue with this useful skill through my university studies.
Zala Korosec
As somebody who is embarking upon a Classics degree in October, I did French, Latin and English Literature at A Level, and the combination of languages helped enormously with my overall grasp of syntax, translation and vocab. I have a passion for the Classics because I love the parallels between the Ancient and Modern Worlds, and I have found that language studies are the key to unlocking the deeper meaning of Ancient texts. Not only this, but studying languages has enabled me to improve my understanding of communication in every way, which is key within our media-dominated society today.
In September I am hoping to study French and German at the University of Edinburgh. I chose the course because I would love to learn about the language and culture of France and Germany in more depth; and because the Scottish system allows me to take unrelated modules alongside my languages, which I found really attractive. I also chose the course because of the year abroad split between the two countries, which is an amazing opportunity to improve my language skills! The teachers at Hymers have been so
The teachers at Hymers have helped me so much throughout the entire application process in every way that they can and I am so grateful for all of their advice and support.
supportive throughout the entire course and provided us with many tools which will help us at university, for example we developed our research skills through various research products and studied a film and piece of literature in depth. The speaking sessions with speaking assistants throughout sixth form have also been very helpful and improved our conversational skills in the language.
Hannah Kraus
Additionally, individual speaking sessions in French built great foundations of confidence that helped me with my interviews for the University of Oxford. At Hymers, aside from the incredible quality of teaching of every aspect of my language from grammar work to listening practice - the unwavering personal support I have received has allowed me to develop in my language studies from strength to strength, and most importantly enjoy the process!
Isabella Penna