Two speakers from London shared their own language journeys: the languages they had learned, the places to which they had travelled, the people they had met, the skills that learning languages had brought them and how they used languages in their work.
This was a lively, uplifting online session designed to help pupils see the real possibilities that languages open up and to encourage them to continue their language studies to GCSE level and beyond!
Teachers registered, prepared pupils with a pupil booklet, and projected the session ‘live’ in classrooms, having the opportunity to interact with the speakers.
You can replicate this experience!
- Download the pupil booklet
- Show the video to your classes in chunks
- Give time for discussion with the class.
- E mail us with any reactions / questions and we will try to respond!
Browse many more resources from the British Council here.
Organised by the British Council in partnership with London: City of Languages.
Chapter list: (If you watch in YouTube, the description contains interactive links to these sections).
00:00 – Welcome & schools joining Classes from across the UK join live; pupils introduce themselves in the chat.
02:24 – Opening remarks – Vicki Gough (British Council) London City of Languages, why languages matter for diplomacy, the economy, culture and personal opportunities; explanation of the format and Q&A.
04:30 – Speaker 1 – David Elliot (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) David’s language journey from school French and German to Arabic and Spanish, and how languages shaped his diplomatic career in Iraq, Qatar, Mexico, El Salvador, India, South Sudan and more. Themes: using languages to connect with people; heritage languages; why fluency isn’t essential; “have a go” and embrace mistakes.
17:31 – Pause for questions to David One‑minute reflection for pupils to think of questions and add them to the chat.
18:43 Speaker 2 – Gabriel (Teacher) Gabriel speaks as a classroom teacher about the advantages of being born to parents who speak languages other than English at home, studying languages, teaching them, and the impact languages have on pupils’ futures and everyday school life. Themes: what language learning looks like in school; how teachers use languages in and beyond the classroom; encouragement to keep going to GCSE and beyond.