News from Mr Grady
It seems that not a week goes by without something extra happening at Rugby High School, which is exactly how we like it – huge ranges of different activities and experiences, and this week is no exception: We have been working up to Thursday (European Day of Languages) with a whole range of European activities, with food in the canteen cooked up by Mr Roach and his team, and staff sharing short recordings of them speaking in the languages they have learnt over the years.
Even our own staff briefing had us all greeting each other in a range of European (and indeed more global) languages. We have Ms Vann and the MFL department to thank for leading the way on this across the week.
Language learning is such a vital part of our continued curiosity and pleasure in learning, and although my French A-Level never did go as well as I’d hoped, my ability to communicate in French has helped me out in a whole variety of places including Vietnam, Morocco, Thailand and Italy. The flexibility of being able to understand not just someone from a different country, but also get underneath the skin of a different culture or country through a different language is a real joy.
Whilst visiting family in the Netherlands this summer I was determined to try out my Dutch at every opportunity, despite the fact that in most cases people were happy to speak English. I stuck with it and ordered my Bitteballen in Dutch whenever I could, improving on my accent and delivery each time. Despite the visible embarrassment of my family, and the patience of our waiters, who I’m sure would have preferred me to do it in English as it would have been quicker; I’m nothing, if not persistent: Language learning is a real experience of what it is to be resilient, to have a go and not mind getting it wrong, to stick with something and not to give up, just because we may find it difficult.
As teachers and as a school we’re eager for students to have a go, to make mistakes and to build their resilience in the supportive environment of Rugby High School, and what better way to demonstrate that but to have a go a little chat in whatever language your child is learning? Get them to teach you a phrase in Latin, French or Spanish, maybe share your own memories of languages you may have learnt at school!
Have a go, enjoy it and (here we go…) bonne chance d'avoir une conversation différente!