French

Getting to know... Mr Piesse, Head of Modern Languages

1. What’s your favourite thing about languages?

By learning a different language, you can access different ways of being and enrich your own sense of the world.

2. Who would play you in a film about your life?

It would definitely be a comedy because I think we generally take life too seriously! I would be revisiting the best and worst moments of my life with one of my friends, who is a bit like Rob Brydon. I should approach the BBC! Of course it would be in Spanish, French, Gujarati and English.

3. What would students be surprised to find out about you?

I am a pretty straight-forward person, really. Perhaps that I sang with Lily Allen in a pop song?

“I sang with Lily Allen in a pop song”

4. If you could pass on any wisdom onto your students, what would it be?

Don’t fall into a routine! Always question what you hear, see and read. Love yourself and trust that most of what teachers tell you is borne out of love. And the rest is because they fell into a routine.

5. What’s your most embarrassing teacher moment?

Well, I’ve had plenty! Dressing up as ‘MFL Man’ in one school assembly, in a costume that I hadn’t realised had shrunk in the wash. In my second week at NHEHS, assuming an increasingly bemused Mr Shoults was taking over from me in a Year 7 cover lesson and giving him lengthy instructions, when he revealed he was there to teach them their public speaking lesson: nul points!

GDST Languages Festival

The Languages Festival is a GDST competition that was held at Northampton High School. The Year 10 competition involved memorising a poem in another language and reciting it in front of all the other schools who were taking part, which seemed daunting at the time.

I had chosen to recite a poem that I had written earlier in the year for the MFL creative writing competition. It was about a castle in France that my family owned for a short time after the French Revolution and it was about how there were so many memories held in a place that I would never get to see.

Zareen Hyatt, Year 10

NHEHS linguists take to the stage

On Friday 26th and Monday 29th January, Onatti Productions visited NHEHS and performed plays in French, German and Spanish to our Year 9 students. The girls really enjoyed the intriguing storylines, the humorous acting and the opportunity to talk to the actors afterwards. We were also delighted to host Year 10 girls from Ellen Wilkinson School. Well done to all those who took to the stage themselves, in what was an excellent opportunity to develop their linguistic confidence. Thank you to Ms Barbosa for masterminding this event!

Mr Piesse

We recommend...

‘Entre les murs’ (film)

This film follows a teacher trying to engage with a class of disiniterested children from a multitude of different backgrounds. It highlights the problems within the education system in France and attempts to gives us a better understading of ethnic groups in French society.

‘Quotidien’ (talk show)

This TV show contains celebrity interviews, challenges, and ‘Mock the Week’-style segments that allow us to discover more about French popular culture.

Normandy Trip

This article was originally written in French.

On 21st June, we left to France at 4:20am. After two hours, we arrived at Portsmouth. Then, we took the ferry to Caen which took six hours. Luckily, the ship was full of exciting things to see and do. My friends and I decided to buy nonalcoholic cocktails. There were bars, a cinema and even a disco!

We arrived in Caen and went to our hotel, which was on the beach! In Normandy, we visited Avranches,a typical Norman city. I bought a magnet and two scoops of ice cream, which was delicious. Also, we went to Mont St Michel which was spectacular. It is a small town with an abbey on an island. That night, we played volleyball on the beach. The next morning we saw the Bayeux Tapestry. It was incredibly long - almost 70m! The next day, we went to Arromanches, a city that the Americans and British landed on to liberate France from the Nazis.

Finally, we took the ferry to Portsmouth and came back to school at 11:45pm. Going to France helped with my pronunciation and made me more confident when speaking. This trip was amazing - I was able to appreciate France’s rich and beautiful culture and have lots of fun with my friends too!