Grove hosts major Languages event

 

Last week, Market Drayton saw one of the biggest gatherings of Sixth Form students ever seen in the county when around two hundred students from twenty schools came together in the Festival Drayton Centre for the Grove Annual Sixth Form Conference.

 

Speakers from six different universities, two industrialists and twelve foreign language assistants put on a very varied programme built around Spanish, German and French, though the Russian taster sessions were popular too.

 

The day had more than one purpose. Essentially, it was designed to strengthen and improve students’ language skills through listening and small conversation groups. However, it was also an opportunity to pick up on cultural issues like ‘French young people: education and active life’, ‘British people in Spain’, ‘the recent unrest in Paris’ and ‘working abroad’. A key purpose is to encourage sixth formers to consider languages as a university subject and a subsequent career.

“This event was brilliant for the school and town” said headteacher Richard Arrowsmith who delivered the welcome. “It was obvious when I saw every seat filled in the auditorium at the Festival Drayton centre that this was a major educational event by Shropshire standards. We are in serious danger of becoming a nation of non-linguists now that students do not have to study a language after 14."

 

"The young people who came last week are in a unique position to move on to very worthwhile study, jobs and life styles if they pursue their languages. It is deplorable in an age when young people are travelling the world routinely for work, leisure and study that we can allow students to drop their language study so young .in this country.”

Deputy head Jan Campbell was full of praise for the organisation of the event: “Ceri Bedford and Jane Rudd have produced an ambitious and adventurous programme which was much admired in the student and staff evaluations.”