Inspirational Stories

The idea for the ‘Futbol Lingo App’ came many years before it hit the App Store. Throughout 14-years of working in elite youth development, Futbol Lingo Co-Founder Mark Muddyman worked at a variety of football clubs in some of the UK’s most diverse cities, including Birmingham City, Watford and Manchester United. Whilst employed in these academy environments, Mark would frequently coach players who did not speak English or who spoke English as a second language. This would create an intrigue to learn ‘football-specific language’ – initially Spanish, inspired by the Tika Taka revolution and great Guardiola Barca side. In 2017, when attending a Premier League Conference at Chelsea Football Club, Mark heard a speech from Paul Clement (former Real Madrid, PSG & Chelsea assistant manager) in which he said, “… to be a top manager you need to be bi-lingual, to be a top coach you can get by with words and phrases”. This provoked some thought – what terms would you need to know to coach in another language?

Inspired by the speech, by working in a multi-lingual football club (Watford) and by observing the career progression abroad of former academy graduates (such as Jadon Sancho to Dortmund), the initial Futbol Lingo  concept was born, in the form of a spreadsheet of coaching terminology (English to Spanish).

Two years later in a bar in Birmingham, the spreadsheet was shown to friend and colleague Pierce Kiembi – a UEFA A Licence Coach, Linguist & Teacher of Modern Foreign Languages. It was here that the idea began to evolve. As a German native and fluent speaker of five languages, Pierce was the pivotal missing piece of the Futbol Lingo jigsaw. He became a Co-Founder and the idea began to take shape of a mobile app. The mission was clear – create a platform which helps the next generation of players and coaches learn ‘Futbol Lingo’ from around the world .

In 2020, the COVID-19 lockdown gave opportunities to work around he clock with professional coaches, translators, and App developers worldwide to develop the App in 15+ languages. The lengthy production and development process would continue throughout 2021 as more exciting and revolutionary features would be added, such as Bi-Lingual Planners & an Interactive Quiz. With Edition #1 complete in the first quarter of 2022, Futbol Lingo embarked on its mission to revolutionise communication within the beautiful game by #ConnectingTheWorldOfFootball.

Tiki-taka or Tiqui-taca is a style of play in football characterised by short passing and movement, working the ball through various channels, and maintaining possession. The style is primarily associated with the Spain national team since 2006 (from Google).

Pierce's upbringing in a multilingual household in Germany was a unique gift, but at school his language advantage took a back seat to his preference for speaking German among friends. Despite having the linguistic "cheat code," his interest in honing his language repertoire remained limited. Although English was compulsory in German schools, his lack of attention left him unprepared when his family relocated to the UK. Initially struggling academically, Pierce barely scraped through his GCSEs, just enough to secure a college placement.

The turning point came when Pierce ventured to the US on a soccer scholarship. Immersed in a melting pot of languages and cultures, his horizons expanded drastically. Exploring diverse landscapes and navigating through varied customs, he slowly realised the profound value of embracing cultural diversity—a subconscious thread that had been part of his life all along.

Graduating from the University of Texas marked a pivotal moment, leading him back to the UK to pursue a career in football coaching. Now, equipped with a new found appreciation for languages, Pierce actively employs his multilingual skills in his coaching endeavours, currently working for a Premier League Club.

Mark's school days did not see him embracing languages with fervour! His interest leaned more towards other subjects than the mandatory French classes he attended during his GCSEs. A former footballer turned coach due to an early career-ending injury, Mark's pivotal realization about the  real significance of languages unfolded during his tenure at Birmingham City.

Coaching a young Jude Bellingham and other players who didn't speak English posed daunting challenges. The language barrier hindered Mark's ability to convey instructions effectively. Similar situations persisted during his time at Watford, leaving him struggling to communicate with non-English-speaking players.

A transformative moment occurred in the Watford Training ground canteen when an English-speaking first-team player joined Mark's table. Mark and his colleagues were surprised.  When they asked why he had chosen their table, the player said it was the only table speaking English. This realisation crystallised Mark's determination: to succeed at the highest echelons of the game, he needed to have (an)other language(s). This sparked his pursuit of Spanish, a crucial step towards fulfilling his ambitions in the footballing world.

Anna Lise Gordon recalls a seminal incident on the Tube involving a rather dishevelled old lady...

I studied German and French at university before teaching languages in and around London, but I also speak Danish. My mother came from Denmark and I spent most childhood holidays in Denmark with my non-English speaking grandparents. Danish has been an added bonus in my life on many occasions, but this incident was particularly special, demonstrating clear communication, social empathy and human understanding.
I was travelling on the London Underground many years ago. A rather dishevelled old lady was sitting nearby, surrounded by carrier bags stuffed full of clothes. A group of Danish teenagers – a lively bunch - got on the train and began chatting to one another in Danish, rather rudely and loudly, about the old lady. Just as the inner teacher in me was coming to the fore and I was about to tell them off in Danish for being rude, the old lady simply keeled over.
Well, I take my hat off to the young Danes who immediately went to the old lady and spoke to her gently – in almost perfect English now – to check she was OK. They offered her water and some chocolate, and apologised for being loud. The old lady came round slowly, thanked them for their concern and accepted the water. And here’s the magical moment - she did this in perfect Danish! You should have seen the teenagers’ faces as they realised that she had understood everything they’d been saying about her. It is perhaps unsurprising that the teenagers got off at the next station. The old lady just smiled and then dozed off again.

Sam Losh tells the story of how her Italian Nan came to Liverpool.

My sense of identity started to take shape while I was growing up in the politically charged Liverpool of the 1980s. So, from an early age, I developed a strong sense of social justice.

My father was the son of a Liverpudlian who served in the Second World War and an Italian immigrant mother, who arrived in Liverpool in 1945, and raised my father among the Italian community of Liverpool. The late 1970s and early 1980s were a tough time for many. I noticed that my Italian family were happy, the children not focussed so much on their homework, always in the shops that my dad’s siblings had opened, working in the family trade of sewing and selling clothes. Nan would sit me on her knee and chat away in Italian to me – I loved it. I asked Dad why he didn’t speak Italian to me at home – he said he had been told by his father not to speak Italian. I detected a sense of shame and was confused.

When he brought Nan to post World War Britain in 1945, Grandad would say she was French. I was surprised and asked my dad more about where Nan came from and how they met. She found Grandad in a field on the family farm fighting for his life, after walking for miles in the Italian countryside with other soldiers who had escaped capture, in a desperate attempt to find their way home.

As a local resistance member Nan knew what she needed to do to make sure he, and others like him, survived. Men who were found to be helping these escapees were hanged in her village – I was astonished to read the Italian documents which verified her story and to see names she had mentioned as friends listed as executed for their brave efforts. Stabbed in the leg with a bayonet when questioned by the German police, she remained stoic and as you guessed, seven children and sixteen grandchildren later, here I am telling her story.

We moved out to the suburbs when I was three as Mum and Dad wanted us brought up out of the city. It seemed like the sensible thing to do – trouble was brewing, stirrings of the Thatcher era were felt across the city. I recall a gloriously longed for family holiday to Mallorca! One other thing stands out for me from that time – the visits to my Italian Nan’s next to the Anfield stadium. Following a series of riots in Toxteth, media coverage of Liverpool was increasingly negative, but all I could see was the passion in the young faces of those people on their way to the game.

The throng of fans walking to the ground, their songs and camaraderie had a lifelong impact on me. The feeling and emotions they stirred up were all the riches I needed; any shame I felt standing in a queue every day at school to receive free meal tickets and uniform vouchers was overwhelmed by the passion for our team and their glories). Language – and accent - play a major role in cultural capital and the ability to travel and use languages should never be underplayed.

Neither should the influence of the media in reinforcing stereotypes and negativity around cultures. I recall a teacher on a school trip in the early 80s being visibly ashamed to say we were from Liverpool, preferring to say we were from just outside. This kind man, who had actually subbed my place on the trip so I could go, felt ashamed. My blood boiled – this was not right. I started to study French at secondary school and loved it – I seemed to have a natural aptitude for languages, most probably due to having my ear tuned in at an early age (coupled with a burning desire to learn Spanish and go back to Mallorca!)

Fast forward to the 1990s... Alongside Law I also studied French and Russian and found myself living in Moscow over winter 1992-93. The sense of distance from home was exacerbated by the long queues to place a telephone call home from the central post office in barely post-Soviet pre-mobile phone Russia.

The sense of longing to hear the voice of a familiar community, and connect with home is powerful , and has a direct impact, I think, on well-being. Grabbing the chance to go and watch Liverpool play at Moscow Spartak, we met supporters who had travelled from home (literally - the Liverpool supporters club contingent included two lads I had been to school with) and watched familiar faces play in unfamiliar territory amid jeers and jibes from Spartak fans. After the game, we went to a bar with the lads.

A Kit-Kat was produced from a case and given to me. When I then took a bite and passed it to eight of my fellow students (food was short that winter) the lads immediately had a whip round, turning out their dollars and pounds, and left the contents of their suitcases for us, including toiletries and treats. We smelled like boys, but we were clean and full of chocolate! We were swept up and treated like their own. I learnt a lot about pride and heritage in those few days, my sense of identity very much defined and set: I belonged to a city with a proud character, big heart - and distinct accent.

Read about Lisa's teacher 'an enigmatic and formidable Colombian who inspired and fascinated me' changed her language life.

My languages story began with holidays abroad as a child in Spain, being fascinated by the culture and language, and by learning French at middle school which I loved.

My language story nearly ended when I went to secondary school and had to start French all over again. I found it boring and demotivating, and I seriously fell out of love with French.  (We did “make up” later but that’s another story!) My language story - and my passion - was reignited by the wonderful Señora SánchezRichardson, an enigmatic and formidable Colombian who inspired and fascinated me.

I loved learning the Spanish language but it was her anecdotes about el sereno, la sobremesa and other titbits of culture and daily life that captured my imagination. Her passion was infectious; she was a bit of a maverick and as a ‘conformist’ when it came to rules, this was intoxicating!

Choosing to continue studying Spanish at A level was no brainer and I went on to study Spanish and Catalan at Sheffield University.
I’d always wanted to be a teacher, specifically a middle school teacher with a language specialism. Sadly that wasn’t an option and I wanted to share my love of languages so I did a PGCE in secondary languages so I could be ‘just like Señora Sánchez-Richardson.’

I’d been teaching Spanish and French at a ‘challenging’ comprehensive school for a couple of years when I received a message from Luz (I found it hard to think of her as Luz but she said I couldn’t call her Señora forever!) She’d moved schools after I’d left, and was telling me she was retiring and I was to apply for her job as Head of Spanish. Not ‘you could’ but ‘you must.’ So I did. And got the job. And a new journey began.

Why do I share this? Firstly, I became the teacher I am, in love with Spanish and passionate about culture and context being vital to language learning, thanks to a brilliant dedicated teacher. Secondly, she told me I must join ALL … which I did. And that was the best piece of advice (well, instruction!) she gave me. And thirdly, as a teacher now, I always remember that you never know what your teaching will inspire in others. I now work with an ex-pupil from the primary school at which I teach.

I taught him Spanish throughout KS2, he went on to continue language learning at secondary school, and later trained to be a primary teacher with a language speciality.

Passing on the language love!

Malak Moussa (now a Law student at SOAS, University of London) attended the Peace School and writes about how language learning opened her mind to wider issues

Malak Moussa is now a Law student at SOAS, University of London. Learning languages starts to become more of a privilege than an assignment as you grow older and begin to notice the benefits you gain from it, and the opportunities you experience because of it.
I was fortunate enough to be able to experience this while studying Arabic at Peace School where they offered the Multilingual digital story telling project (MDST) which was one the most beneficial things I have ever done for myself.

I don’t think I would have been able to be where I am, studying law at SOAS, if I had not maintained participation in the MDST project, and excelled in it. I was praised for my commitment in attending all the events MDST offered, regardless of the fact it was alongside my high school studies, and felt the real benefits of being able to experience such events. Not all students are given that privilege.

I believe it was thanks to this opportunity I was able to become a law student. One of the most gratifying experiences for me was when I delivered a speech in the Houses of Parliament to the then shadow immigration minister, Afzal Khan. It was a particularly proud moment in my life. My classmates and I were invited by Bernardette Holmes, the director of Speak To The Future (the National Campaign for Languages). I addressed the room on the lack of language teaching in the education system and the impact on young people.

Speaking on a campaigning issue, and in the Houses of Parliament, gave me a real sense of how the law works and gave me the motivation to explore further the possibility of pursuing a future career in law. Having my questions put to the prime minister regarding the lack of language teaching in schools, and its implications, was a hugely gratifying moment. I have explored my appreciation for languages and debate in numerous ways. Invited again by Bernardette Holmes, I gave a speech at The Language Show emphasising the equality and uniqueness of all languages, and suggesting that, although English has become the international language, every language
should be valued and appreciated in the same way.

It was a thrill to meet Bernardette, a national figure, who applauded my speech and my determination to bring about change in the educational system. We made a documentary video about bullying thanks to working with Goldsmiths University on a digital storytelling course. This was one of the most thrilling acting and teamwork experiences, but also one of the most difficult! It provided a useful practical understanding of how so many different disciplines interact to produce the finished product. Although I struggled a lot with time management while doing the MDST course at the same time as my GCSEs in high school, the benefits I received made it all worthwhile.One of the most important lessons I could have learned from the MDST course, is that every language is significant, distinctive, and different for a purpose. We were all created to speak differently and communicate in our own unique way, which makes us stand out. No language is more significant than any other since each one is equally distinct and beautiful, and everyone should be able to communicate with the same equality and respect no matter where they are in the globe.

George Van den Bergh is Founder and CEO of thisislanguage.com, an ALL Corporate Member. Please read his story below

I suppose this is a narrative of sorts… it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact moment when I caught the language bug, but it definitely
started with a kiss. Well, kisses would be more exact. Little, fluttering French bisous given in greeting by the mother of my first French
exchange partner, on my first trip away from home, after my first solo flight, shortly before my first tartine and chocolat chaud on a
cold, wet January morning in northern France.

It’s probably true to say that the “language” part of the bug actually came after the culture part. First came that dizzying feeling of
dépaysement when you arrive in a foreign country, where everything is almost the same - people, faces, meals, sports - but the sense
impressions have been refracted slightly, as though through a prism. And the language at first was merely a dull background noise to the
physicality of my displacement and the reality of new experiences. Only drip by drip did those vocalisations percolate through my
system and form themselves into words and phrases and meaning. And then came the glee of acting out this new language in the real
world. To be understood doing what had until recently seemed so alien! There are very few thrills that can compare to communicating
on the bleeding edge of your knowledge of any acquired language.

Finally, beyond that, many moons later, to cease to be aware of those differences; to truly exist as your own self but freshly renewed,
the old skin having been sloughed off and the assimilation to be complete. I still strive to taste that rush of being understood in a new country. And perhaps that is the bug and that search will always be my story.

Darnelle Constant-Shepherd is a member of ALL Council - My Language Story

My language journey began when I was a young child, confronted with a television set for the first time and watching an American series called ‘Bonanza’. I had no idea what the characters were talking about, but I remember being completely fascinated and thinking that when I go to school I will learn to speak just like them.

It later transpired that the language was English, and at that time in Mauritius, my country of birth, the medium of education was always French. I was not unfamiliar with a range of other languages or dialects during my formative years. Learning English however, was just learning words, then phrases from books then passages. We could read but we could not communicate in English.

Forward to 1970, now living in the UK and I am still not speaking English. I start secondary school and to my utter joy, I am given a ‘buddy’ who not only speaks French but she is from the same island. She is well established, with many years behind her as an EAL learner. So culturally, I am matched with a now lifelong friend. It also turns out that our French teacher is also our form tutor. To this day, I still cannot believe my good fortune for such an amazing start in a new school, in a new country. This teacher is my hero, and I am forever
grateful. For it was he, who brought home to me that my ability to speak French was not a barrier to the rest of my education, in this English speaking-country, but an asset. A year later when my family moves from West London to North London, I experience many challenges as I continue to learn English while I explore the curriculum, but conversely, that initial contact with that one amazing English teacher who teaches French, had set my heart on fire about both language learning and teaching.

We are now in 1979, I start my first MFL teaching post in a secondary school in North London, and I find myself in a position to support my students to do exchanges in both France and Spain. It is a dream come true. I am not only doing what I love doing, but my learning of languages continues and so do my intercultural interactions with amazing colleagues.  Joining a language service in one of the London boroughs in the early 90’s, to work with refugee pupils predominantly from Kurdistan, becomes another amazing extension from my love affair with languages into another branch of language learning for bilingual, and second, or additional language learners. This leads to me embarking on a masters degree in Applied Linguistics where the concept of language theories blows my mind. Suddenly I can pin my ideas of language learning on a well-researched and legitimate foundation.

By the middle of 2000s, after ten years in a central London primary school, I am at UCL, Institute of Education, at first supervising student teachers on their Spring Placement in Paris. Working in various schools in Paris, I meet a range of colleagues, some of them now dear friends. Then I am engaged in training primary PGCE students to teach French in primary schools. At a particular point during this period, I also embark on an Italian language-learning journey, which remains incomplete due to Covid-19.

My language journey looks deliberate and planned, but far from it. It is the inspiration of language teachers and colleagues I met on the way, which guided my path truly to appreciate the social value of language, and its power to enhance lives. Unlike the French writer Gustave Flaubert’s inspiration, for ‘le mot juste’, I am not so much looking oir the exact word in any of the languages that I speak. Rather I am in pursuit of the commonality of languages all around me, for I sincerely believe that therein lies the secret of relating to others, in order to create a semblance of peace in the world.

Eva Lamb is Chair of ALL Yorkshire.

When my daughter  was born I was keen that she should learn to speak German so that she could communicate with our Austrian family, none of whom are proficient in English. All went well until she went to school and became aware that speaking German made her different. She would get embarrassed and did not want me to speak German in front of her friends.

The big turn-around came when we went on holiday to Tunisia. We were in a holiday complex where most of the holiday makers were either British or German, and Martha soon became the most popular child in the complex, as she was the only one that could translate between the two groups.

We have never looked back. She agreed to attend the German Supplementary School where I was teaching at the time and passed her German GCSE in Year 9. She is in her thirties now and very grateful that I did not give up on insisting she speaks German at home.

Maksi A. Kozinska - Christmas Carol(s)

In a small primary school in Thurrock, one December day was genuinely magical. Parents were invited to an outstanding Christmas performance, where all the children sang carols in all the languages that they were willing to share with their school community.
It started in the usual way, with children singing Silent Night beautifully; a little later, the accompanist began to play the same melody, but this time children sang fragments in German (Stille Nacht), in Polish (Cicha Noc) and in Lithuanian (Tyli Natkis), and in other languages that related to children's backgrounds as well as languages taught at school e.g. French (Douce Nuit).

When we asked how they had prepared for this performance, children felt proud that they had acted as language advisers to their teachers. They ha been keen to help other children with their pronunciation, and supported everyone with explaining the new vocabulary. This performance was a fantastic experience: many of the children on stage have relatives abroad, who most likely would not see them over Christmas, but we were allowed to film and share this performance with grandparents and other family members. This meant a chance for loved ones to share in the festivities, and the whole experience of the beautiful openness of the people of Britain. A whole school singing Christmas carols in their home or foreign languages is an extraordinary example of language awareness and unity in celebrating the season, which means a lot to so many.

As a parent, I have never been prouder of living in such a beautiful country, and the memory of this experience will stay with me for the rest of my life. This multilinguistic performance allowed bonding between peers at school by exploring the linguistic richness hiding in British schools. It also gave families living abroad a sense of gratitude for sharing the heritage of their loved ones by acknowledging their home languages. Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is about the realisation that life lived with closed eyes is not a life and that we are all better together – this was a modern Christmas Carol that set an example of good practice for others.

Tahreem Akhtar now works for Qatar Foundation International and attended Language Word in 2022.

My Arabic journey did not really start until my first year at American University when I signed up for my first Arabic class. I knew that Arabic would offer me unique opportunities and it would bring me closer to a part of the world that I didn’t understand very well.
Let me take a step back and explain how I found Arabic – by that point I had studied French, Spanish, and some Latin in addition to keeping up my home languages of Urdu and Punjabi while learning English in school.

When I was 6 years old, my family moved to the United States from Pakistan. I started kindergarten without understanding a word of English in a school where there were no other children that looked like me, nor anyone who spoke either of my home languages. I was
separated into an ESL (English as a second language) class for part of the day with one other student, who spoke Spanish at home. I was in ESL for about a year, and continued to grow my vocabulary and learn about the American culture for the next few years in school, through TV, books, and from other children my age who lived in the neighborhood. Fast forward to 6th grade, where I was selected for a pilot Latin class with a few other students.

The school decided not to offer Latin, but instead gave us the option of taking French or Spanish. I decided on French and took that for many years before realizing how beneficial Spanish would be, considering the number of Spanish speakers in the US. I met with my
academic advisor and convinced them to let me add Spanish to my schedule – porque no los dos?

Taking both classes reminded me of learning English in kindergarten, except this time my peers were at the same starting point as me. Studying two different yet similar languages was challenging; I confused grammar rules and vocabulary almost daily in both classes. Whenever I used Spanish in French class or vice versa, I could take comfort in knowing that at least I knew the word in the other language! Learning languages opened my mind to learning about different cultures. I realized that no matter which language class I was in, I was excited that I would be able to communicate with people from different backgrounds. While learning about other cultures, I was also reflecting on my own experiences and identities: some choices were my own - like the choice to add French to my schedule - and some were out of my control - like moving to the US, or the requirement for students to take a language in 6th grade, but ultimately they all led me to where I am today.

Tahreem is now a Senior Program Associate at Qatar Foundation International, working on grant programs that support the establishment of Arabic programmes for primary and secondary students in the US and UK. She also manages the Arabic Honor Society, which is a programme that supports secondary students who are passionate about Arabic.

Sylvia Brown is an office manager in the North-West of England , and her story is full of languages.

I was born in Prague in what was then Czechoslovakia in the 1970s and my language journey has definitely been shaped by that fact.
My first language is Czech. My Mum came from Slovakia and even though she mostly spoke Czech in the house, I got to hear her language, and her particular dialect of it, from an early age. Slovak was also common then on radio and TV - so much so that most people of my generation find it hard to believe that children today are growing up not being to understand each other.  My Mum was also a German teacher. There would always be classes going on in our kitchen and plenty of books around our house.

Czech Republic when I was growing up was a country with limited freedoms, but thanks to my Dad’s technical abilities, we got to watch German and Polish TV too. That way we could experience much more music and film than most of our peers. And, of course, soak up those languages. When I was 8, I started attending a specialist school with extended language teaching and learning of Russian. As in the other Eastern bloc countries, Russian was compulsory, but at the time I did not see it as an oppression. I loved learning poems and performing at shows. Needless to say, my Russian teachers, often wives of military officers stationed near my school, loved me back! My
father, who was close to several political dissidents, must have found this quite embarrassing.

I started learning English when I was 10 and if children’s rhymes in Russian had once been the thing, the world of tapes of Pet Shop Boys and my Dad’s Beatles records became a whole new world of motivation.  When I was 15, the world around me changed. I still got to spend my 1st year at secondary school learning Russian. I remember listening to an audio version of War and Peace and loving it so much I picked up the book - in the original. Something that my children find akin to flying to the Moon!  But, Russian was definitely out by that point and I got to pick up Spanish instead. I went on to study English and Spanish at University.

In the 1990s, in a country newly opened to visitors and businesses from around the world, being confident in languages was definitely a great advantage. I worked for a rental agency who specialised in finding flats and houses for English speakers. I met lots of very interesting people, made friends for life and learnt a lot in the field of business too. As part of my degree, I didn’t just learn about the languages but, of course, also the cultures of English- and Spanish-speaking countries and as soon as I could I travelled to England, Ireland and

Spain. In 1995, I visited Northern Ireland. Being there at a pivotal time in its history has sparked a particular interest for me in the Northern Irish Conflict. I later got a grant to Salford University to work on a dissertation on that topic… and a trip from there to Manchester that hasn’t really ended yet, nearly 25 years later.

My first job in Manchester was for a business working with airlines and airports internationally. My knowledge of Czech, Polish, Slovak and Spanish meant I could help grow the business in those parts of the world. My love of languages never really left me. I decided to formalise my German knowledge and earn a GCSE. I even got to work with amazing teachers and researchers focusing on early language
acquisition and connections between language, thinking and learning. Now, I love working at Primary Languages Network. I may be behind the scenes but I still get to do my own little bit to help inspire children to love and learn languages and discover the world.

I love seeing my own children learn different languages and practice their Czech. They may not be fully bilingual, but they certainly feel proud of their heritage. I see how it opens them up to different experiences whenever we travel together. I chat to my daughter who learns Spanish, and get the two learning French to be my teachers for once, to help them with their learning. I also volunteer in my local library running toddler Storytime. There are some 30 languages spoken in my community, something we try to cherish and celebrate in our sessions.

I am excited to see my daughters taking more interest in Czech and showing off every time we visit the family. We have a European road trip planned where we’ll get to try out our French, German, Slovak and Polish again. I am very proud that doing that is, for us, totally part of the experience. I cannot imagine it any other way.

Kate Percival is currently a Year 6 class teacher as well as a French teacher for Primary Languages Network (An ALL Corporate member) .

Kate also works as a Primary MFL consultant for PLN, supporting individual schools and running CPD courses for language coordinators and supports other teachers in the Primary Languages Network. She acknowledges in her story the power of colouring!

It began when, at the age of 10, I won a colouring competition; the prize being a short family holiday to the then newly opened Euro Disneyland in Paris! (Never underestimate the power of colouring.) Until then, I had never travelled abroad, I hadn’t really heard any other languages being spoken and I certainly hadn’t been formally taught any. It sparked a curiosity which remains with me still. For the first time, I was immersed in a language other than my own and I started to pick up sounds and words and associate meaning with them. I remember I bought the cassette of songs and listened to them over and over.

In the years that followed, I loved learning French and German from Year 7 through to GCSE and French to A-level. I went on to read a degree in French with ab initio Italian at The University of Warwick. This experience of starting a language from scratch as an adult
learner is something I still talk to my pupils about today. I embarked on a degree without knowing any Italian but because of the language learning skills I had acquired until then, I knew how a language worked and I knew how I learnt language best.
Part of my degree was spent in France, and I still have fond memories of living in Lyon, especially of their Festival of Lights on the 8th December where the whole city seems to come together in celebration of something culturally very magical.

After an initial postgraduate career in TV and Film Casting (my drama skills still feature in my lessons now), I became a language assistant in six schools, under the guidance of Janet Lloyd and then took the plunge to complete my full teaching qualification (GTP). Thirteen
years later, my favourite thing to teach is certainly still languages and I have become a specialist in primary languages and a subject coordinator at my school. Being in the unusual position of teaching for part of the week and supporting teachers for the other part is hugely beneficial as I can have empathy with the coordinators I support; I understand the reality of primary school life with all the joys and challenges that come along with it.

I love how primary languages can act as a great leveller for children at KS2. As a visiting teacher in one of my schools, I only know pupils for their abilities in French, not for their Maths or English attainment and often the two do not correlate. Sometimes, the advantage
of speaking a home language or merely being allowed a fresh start in a new subject can motivate pupils and when they achieve, this in itself motivates them even further! One child in particular comes to mind, who is a learner with additional needs, yet greets me each week in French and spontaneously starts saying a clapping rhyme we learnt earlier on in the year.

You can’t help but smile!

Here we include more stories which we hope will inspire language learners – with thanks to all the contributors. They raise issues that include

• The importance of international experiences for young learners
• The positive impact of exchange and the year abroad
• The notion that attitudes to language learning develop over time
• How passions can be combined

Please click here for the full article

My Love of Language
Dev Atara is a student at Royal Grammar School, Guildford.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I absolutely love learning languages. As a 16-year-old, I am fortunate enough that I have been given
ample opportunities at school. I have studied French, Latin and Spanish to GCSE and have advanced my Spanish studies to A-level.
Whilst my passion for language may not be typical for a boy of my age, languages just feel normal for me. I adore exploring the history
and culture of language, uncovering the changes that have occurred over the years.

I feel lucky that my teachers have been engaging and pushed me to discover more: I have fond memories of French trips in Year 8 to
Normandy, using my knowledge of French gastronomy to purchase a tarte tatin in the local boulangerie, or debating the importance of
cultural sites throughout Spain with natives. I love language lessons in school and my favourite aspect has to be conversing and speaking, although it seems unpopular amongst teenagers! I was enticed at the A-Level taster day, when we went on a local treasure hunt to find items, using clues in a foreign language. My teachers’ excitement for language has affected me, and I have been exposed on numerous occasions to the culture and diversity of countries.

However, one crucial aspect for me has been the use of language at home, which has inspired my language progression. My family’s
heritage lies in India, in the North-Western state of Gujrat. In 1983, my dad moved to the UK and both he and my mum speak Gujarati.
Gujarati is a beautiful language, and my favourite thing about it is the varying dialects found within the state. For example, I hail from the
region of Saurashtra, which is known for its unique accent.

There is variance among speakers which provides diversity and, as our ancestors used to say, ‘Baar Gaamey Boli Badlaay’ which can be literally translated to ‘Dialect changes after every twelve villages’. Gujarati also allows me to converse with my grandparents, meaning I can maintain a relationship with them, and learn about my culture and heritage. I can talk to them about my day and ask them about their lives, and so age and language have no boundaries. Sometimes my parents might lament my ability because I understand their private conversation! I’m the middle child, and I’ve learnt that the world for middle one in Gujarati is ‘vuchlo’ so when they use it, I know they are talking about me. My Gujarati has other benefits for me: in the educational context, my linguistic experience at home has greatly assisted my language learning ability. Gujarati and Spanish actually have many similar words, and both are Indo-European languages. The relationship between the two can be seen in the pattern of basic words. For example, ‘pagar’ means ‘to pay’ in Spanish, and in Gujarati ‘pagar’ means ‘wages’ or ‘salary’. By learning Guajarati at home and using English every day also, I already have a solid understanding of grammatical rules and vocabulary, which only strengthens my ability. I also have been able to recognise linguistic patterns, and have I think, a greater understanding of how I learn new words, making it easier for me to pick up a new language.

I think that speaking a second language at home also means that I am usedto seeing different cultures and customs, which only heightens my interest. I personally see my ethnicity as a blessing. Using a second language at home has driven and supported my passion for languages and has also helped me considerably in an educational sense. It allows me to keep in touch with family and understand my culture to a greater depth and to feel like the person I am.

Dev Atara is learning Spanish in the Sixth Form - Dev’s story Part 2

Spain and Portugal:

A cultural adventure Dev Atara is learning Spanish in the Sixth Form Recently, I embarked on a three-week tour of Spain and Portugal with my family during the summer holidays. I was going into Year 13 in September, and had decided that I want to
study modern languages at university. More specifically, I want to study Spanish and ab initio Portuguese, hence why we went! The experience was a useful one for me, and something that I would highly recommend for any A-Level language students. Here are a
few of the highlights of the trip for me

1. Being able to practise my language skills

This was the first time that I had travelled to Spain since I started learning Spanish nearly 4 years ago, and I was excited by the prospect of being able to converse with the locals. It was really useful for me to practise these skills and it gave me a real sense of achievement. I
think I’m quite a weird linguist because I love speaking tasks and exams, earning me puzzled looks from my classmates! Despite this, I’ll always want to speak Spanish, and the chance to do so every day for a week and a half was really appealing to me. When it came to it, I was pleased that I could order in restaurants, ask for directions, and understand the announcements on the metro. Attempting to order for all of us in Subway was a challenge, but thankfully we all got what we wanted! It was a real boost for me, and I found myself growing in confidence as the week went along. Despite the odd slip, or incorrect use of subjunctive, I enjoyed the experience, and would definitely do it again.

2. Enriching my A-Level Studies

Studying modern languages is so much more than learning about grammar and syntax; it’s about exploring a whole new culture and people. A-level Spanish has opened my eyes up to various different forms of culture, such as music, art, and literature. Visiting Madrid offered me the opportunity to visit the Prado. Here, I saw in real life the paintings which I have studied at A-level, such as Las Meninas and The Third of May 1808. Being able to explain the importance of colour or light in the art to my family complemented my A-Level studies and helped me to understand the paintings even better.

Another cultural highlight was our trip to Toledo, despite the 40 degrees heat we encountered! Having read about the Arabic roots throughout Spain, it was really useful for me to visit the city of 3 cultures. Seeing places like the Alcázar and the Zocodover enriched
my understating of the great history of the city, something that I hope to continue studying at university.

3. Confirming my desire to study Portuguese

When I first realised I wanted to study modern languages at university, I initially chose Spanish alone. However, upon further research I concluded that I needed to study another language alongside it, leading me to choose Portuguese. I chose it because it complements
Spanish well, and the two share a 90% lexical similarity.  Hence I dragged my family off to Lisbon for a few days, and the trip there helped me to confirm my desire. I was pleasantly surprised that I understood some of the billboard signs, and I enjoyed going on a tour of the city via the yellow trams to see some of the cultural highlights. Portuguese interests me in the same way that Spanish does because it is a world language (with variants) and the differences has variants such as Brazilian Portuguese, and the difference linguistically between Brazilian and European Portuguese are what I look forward to studying. However, I was extremely embarrassed when my brother continually said gracias to taxi drivers….. Overall, my trip to the Iberian Peninsula was really useful in helping me confirm my
university choices. The chance to both practise and perfect my Spanish whilst discovering cultural quirks about Portuguese was so helpful, and something that I would recommend for all A-Level language students.

Year 12 Student Wilfred Lamont wrote a version of his first heart-warming article below for his School magazine. His teacher was thrilled with it, and shared it through ALL Channels.

We have since asked Wilfred to supplement his writing and the second article is a result of that.

Deutschland Online Erleben – Bericht

My experience with the virtual summer course with the Pädagogischer Austauschdienst and UK-German Connection

Dear Frau Lamb,

In July I took part in the Deutschland Online Erleben course that you helped me apply for at Easter. I would like to tell you that I really enjoyed it and I think I got a lot out of it in terms of my ability in German and to thank you very much for telling me about the opportunity.

I worked in a group of ten other 16 and 17 year-olds from Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Switzerland and the UK, working from 9am to 1:15pm (UK time). The course was structured as a virtual tour of Germany, so each day focused on one or two German cities. After the teacher had introduced the city, we would start by reading or watching a video about the place together, then we would move on to comprehension questions and discussions. The main challenge of the day would be to divide into groups of two or three and create presentations about the different museums, historical events or landmarks in the city. In breakout rooms we had to share out the work, prepare what we wanted to say and sometimes create PowerPoint slides.

Twice during the week, guests entered the classroom: on Wednesday we were given a virtual tour of the Konrad Adenauer museum, which is at his house in Rhöndorf, near Bonn, and on Friday, we were given a presentation on the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin. Every day we were given a small activity to do as homework and at the start of the week we were given an assignment to deliver a longer presentation on our home town. During the week we heard about Pécs in Hungary, the Canton of Ticino in Switzerland and Malmesbury in Wiltshire.

I have felt the biggest improvement in my ability to speak German with confidence and to do so without an exact plan of each word of a sentence before saying it. Condensing lots of information into presentations and having to make requests to the teacher has made me practice expressing what I mean clearly – even on unfamiliar topics. Finally, though it might sound strange, I think working quickly with so many non-fiction texts has helped me develop my skim-reading skill, so that now I can begin to fill in the blanks of words I don’t quite catch in writing or in speech. On the last day, when everyone was given a chance to reflect on the week, there was definitely a feeling of joint accomplishment, even though we had all only been connected virtually.

I do think people were disappointed, of course,  that we weren’t able to get to know each other around the lessons, as we would have if we were working in person in Germany. Our teacher spoke to each of us in turn to allow us to give our final thoughts and to give us feedback on our development during the course. Afterwards we had a celebration event, which included long breakout room sessions in which we could have reflective chats with some of the other British participants in English. These were thought-provoking and sometimes funny, and a lovely end to my experience with the course.

I would again like to express my thanks for showing us the application opportunity. I really can’t wait to start A Level German with you and Frau Barber this September, especially with this experience already with me.

Yours, Wilfred

ALL asked Wilf to expand on his feelings around German and motivation for language learning for his second piece. When he sent it Wilfred wrote : ‘I have managed to write quite a lot in answer to your questions because I found them all quite thought-provoking. I haven't spent this much time thinking about my experience of learning before and it was quite fun.’

Wilfred writes about German but his reflections on his experiences are equally thought-provoking for teachers of all languages.

Wilfred showed such enthusiasm in his first piece that, for his second article ALL asked him some questions to explore where that motivation came from. His answers are illuminating, and illustrate how amazing our students can be.

How long have you been learning German?
I’ve been learning German since I started secondary school 5 years ago, but I’d say my learning has changed significantly in the past two years as I’ve started to read, listen and study vocabulary much more outside of school.

Have you learnt / Do you know any other languages?
A few times in the past I have tried to learn other languages that have interested me, but German is the only language that I have managed to stay enthusiastic about for more than a few months. This is because every week I have been able to surround myself with the enthusiasm of teachers and other students in the classroom.

What do you think it is about German that has so enthused you?
I’ve been interested in linguistics for longer than I’ve been learning German (that started from seeing the etymology entries in a dictionary at home). The processes of language change and variation of language forms sharing a common root has always been fascinating for me. The close relation between German and English provided an initial spark for my interest, but my experience trying (and failing) to learn other languages by myself tells me that the way that I have been taught German has been a large factor in maintaining and expanding that interest.
As I’ve moved up through the school and my classes have got smaller, my feeling has increased that we German students are like a little club sharing the secret of a subject which most people have never discovered the joy of! It is such a nice atmosphere to explore our favourite subject in, especially when compared to the atmosphere in other classes I have for my other A-Levels.

What do you really like doing in your German lessons?
I’ve really enjoyed the step up into A-Level lessons. We are rapidly developing the ability to understand and express more complex ideas, so we are able to give opinions on the world around us, perhaps focusing on things we’ve never considered in English before (which is particularly thrilling for me!). The greater focus on social issues and the new study of literature means we are practising this all the time.

Is there anything you find more difficult or stressful?
Speaking is definitely still my weakest skill. The two main problems for me are ordering my thoughts to produce sentences without too many pauses or errors, and overcoming the discomfort of speaking to people with a much higher level of language than me.
Another interesting problem I have is that, when trying to articulate a thought in an essay in German, I am sometimes unable to pin the thought down and get a bit lost. When I step back and think about it ‘in English’, the answer comes to me much quicker. I think because my brain has partially switched into German whilst focussed on the essay, it lacks a full vocabulary and because of that, it doesn’t have as much capability to reason. It’s an unpleasant feeling like being blinkered, but at the same time it only feels unpleasant looking back from my ‘English brain’; from my limited ‘German brain’ point of view, I am unaware of what I am missing out on, like a horse that will happily do its work wearing blinkers.
It’s a very peculiar sensation, but I think of it as a step forward because it is a sign I’m beginning to produce German directly, rather than formulating every sentence as a translation from my native language.

What do you think about the content of exams?
I do quite like the content of the German exams that we are sitting for A-level. The extended vocabulary we are expected to know gives the texts and audio passages the chance to cover quite interesting topics which go beyond everyday life. My favourite paper, however, is definitely the literature paper, where you have to focus solely on extended explanations of things which don’t feature in your everyday life at all, like the reunification of Germany.

Is there anything about German you would really like to do (in or out of school) that you haven't yet had chance to do?
I would like to visit a German-speaking country again. It would be very beneficial because I think that I would understand enough in an environment of German-only input to absorb it ; this would then produce jump in my ability to  produce  German too. On a trip abroad like that, every message you have to process from waking up to going to bed is in the foreign language and I really hope I can experience that at some point.

I would like to explore historical forms of the language and its many modern dialects. I have already learnt a bit about both areas, but I want to be able to study them in more depth, which I hope will be a possibility at university.

On the historical side, I am really interested in how we can catch a glimpse of the unique features of a historical culture in the ways they used their language differently to their descendants. The sound and feeling of medieval German verse is also just really beautiful and a challenging puzzle to decipher and translate!

With dialects, I think the way that dialect interacts with other social markers is really interesting. The way that different dialects are seen by their own speakers and by outsiders has obviously been shifting drastically over the past two hundred years, according to the the various trends and spikes in nationalism, regionalism, migration, education and nostalgia.

 

A million years ago, I worked as press officer at the local authority and was regularly called on to act as interpreter and translator for the twin cities of Duisburg and Caen. I actually had to stand in front of a couple of thousand people in the Guildhall and interpret for the Lord Mayor during the initial twinning ceremony and then again in Caen.

Anyway, that's not the story. I became friends with people in Caen, and, prior to doing the PGCE, and to freshen up on my French, I did a short work placement at the university in Caen. One weekend I went to Bayeux. Alone, and … I dropped my car keys down a Turkish toilet*, had to get the sewage department called out, eventually retrieved keys, wrote to thank the Mayor of Bayeux and had a lovely reply from him in which he said my story had brought a smile to his lips and invited me to take tea with him next time I was down his way. As a trainer I regularly told my students that if ever there was a reason for learning another language, this was it. And when I did trips to Bayeux, I always included the toilets on our itinerary!

* For the younger reader – in France they used the term ‘Turkish’ toilet for one with no seat – it was just two footsteps to stand on and a hole, with a flush mechanism on the wall.

Liz Lord leads the ALL Primary Hub in Portsmouth

Freya Green is now (2022) at university. Here she recalls her experiences learning French at school:

Learning French at a primary school level is a prominent memory for me. I found the use of drama (role plays), songs and projects extremely beneficial - I still remember many of the activities and songs we did.

(Danielle Dion-Jones introduces us to Freya, and her developing confidence in speaking French in the forthcoming ALL publication: It’s good to talk 2022) My family is British, and I wasn’t introduced to other languages until I started primary school, at the age of 6, when Madame Dion Jones began teaching me French. My parents and siblings all have studied French at some point in their life, giving them a
grasp on the language, with my Dad studying French at A-Level. Except for French they haven’t properly studied any other languages. I’ve studied three languages; French, Latin and Chinese, thanks to the diverse opportunities offered to me at Primary and Secondary school level.

Learning French at a primary school level is a prominent memory for me. I found the use of drama (role plays), songs and projects extremely beneficial- I still remember many of the activities and songs we did. The teaching technique was inclusive and interactive, meaning that, as a shy pupil I always was given the opportunity and encouragement to take part in class, when I would’ve otherwise been too scared to do so. It gave me a strong grasp on the basics of French and acted as a springboard to
my further studies at GCSE French and A Level.

I vividly remember singing about ‘Léon le chameleon’, a girl called ‘Violette’ on her ‘Bicyclette’ and studying various paintings - using observations of the painting such as clothes in order to expand our vocabulary. Did your primary experience give you confidence for learning languages at secondary level?

Definitely, I don’t know whether I would’ve had the confidence to pick up multiple languages at secondary school had I not been introduced to French at a younger age, it showed me that I was capable of not only coping with further languages, but that I
had the capability to pursue French at a higher level. The teaching at primary school level prompted me to participate during class and this helped me become confident in using a French accent in front of peers, which greatly aided me at secondary school
level, where Q&As between classmates were used. Further to this, the diverse techniques used, covering listening, reading, writing and speaking, meant that I could feel confident in both understanding and speaking French.

I enjoyed the fact that the lessons were always fun, and not predominantly based on written activities; the lessons used drama, song and rhymes to help us learn - this not only helped engage me in class but also made the topics easier to remember. Further to this, I enjoyed how Madame Dion Jones introduced the idea of pen pals in order to teach us about Francophone people. I had a pen pal in Quebec and I remember how exciting it was writing and receiving a letter from her. What did you think of the Speaking Test at GCSE? How does this compare with the Speaking Assessment you did for your Lingua Award in Year 6? I preferred the style of my Lingua award speaking assessment over that of my GCSE speaking assessment, regardless of the increased difficulty.

The Lingua award assessment felt like a more comfortable atmosphere - with greater levels of support from the examiner, which allowed for a more natural conversation to ensue between us. The GCSE speaking assessment, though still relatively relaxed, felt more ‘robotic’, almost as though it was a timeframe in which I had to fit in as many ‘si clauses’, subjunctives and idioms as I could. There was more focus on technique than having
a naturally flowing conversation, but this was bound to be the case due to the increased difficulty level.

Throughout primary school there was more focus on making French a fun experience - which was extremely beneficial considering so much of secondary and further education is based on the premise of individual performance. It was interesting and necessary to have the assessment at the end of primary school to see my abilities, the results of which I used to decide to continue to do French in secondary school.

Why did you choose to do French A-Level?  Not only was I interested in learning the French language at a more complex level, I
was also interested in the culture and heritage of France. At A-level, much of the course explores cultural themes, such as immigration, sites of heritage, and social issues, and I found this element gripping. Did your secondary experience prepare you for A-level?
Yes, I would say so. The high level of education provided by Madame Claro meant that I felt confident with my ability in French. Studying topics such as ‘bénévolat’, which I also studied at A-level, meant that I had useful vocabulary and phrases on topics which I could use in my A-level studies. However, at GCSE level, literature and film isn’t studied in depth, so it was new for me to be writing essays commenting on literary and film techniques - which could be the reason I found it so challenging. We were used to writing small paragraphs but it felt very hard to start writing extended essays. Looking back, now that you have finished you’re A-levels, what sticks in your mind about French?

I think it’s an amazing subject to study at all levels. Studying literature and film gave me an interesting insight into the development of French society and helped me to develop my French vocabulary through the use of colloquial language. Learning French has not only been of academic benefit but also personal benefit, I have a skill which I can now use for the rest of my life. Despite the fact my degree isn’t related to French, I want to visit France as often as I can- not only to make use of my skills but also because I've attained a great level of respect for the culture. To ensure I keep up my skills I will use various applications such as Duolingo. Further to this, should the opportunity to work in France arise, I would love to do so.

Janet Clarke is a Higher Level Teaching Assistant and Languages Subject Leader at Wimboldsley Community Primary School, Cheshire.

My name is Janet Clarke, I have worked for the past 18 years as a Teaching Assistant/HLTA at a rural primary school in West Cheshire.
In 2010 I was excited to take on the role of teaching and leading French across the school and was determined to maintain the enthusiasm the children had for language learning. I recognised the need to enhance my own Professional Development and keep up to date with skills to engage the children in their learning to make lessons fun and enjoyable. At this time funding was available for language leaders to attend courses in Cheshire, and I was lucky enough to enroll on workshops which were organised by the inspirational Janet Lloyd, founder of the Primary languages Network, I came back to school buzzing with enthusiasm.

In 2014 when learning a language in primary schools became part of the KS2 curriculum, the subject leader at my local high school contacted me about a workshop organised by ALL Manchester. Little did I know at the time that this was going to be the best thing that had ever happened for me. I met two more inspirational Language professionals (Geoff Bramall and Gina Hall) who made me so welcome and told me about the benefits of becoming a member of ALL. I continued to attend the Saturday workshops in Manchester, joined the Association and I have never looked back. I attended the weekend conferences, speaking to so many amazing language professionals like Steven Fawkes who have helped me to build my confidence, knowledge and skills. I was so proud to be nominated as the Primary Language representative on the ALL Manchester committee.

Since that time I have been invited to speak about my role including progression and assessment in primary languages at the National College for School Leadership, the Northern Primary Languages Show at York S. John University and ALL Manchester. My French lesson with KS1 during our last Ofsted was also mentioned in our Outstanding Ofsted report. When home learning came with the pandemic I was proud to be part of a team of language teachers who were invited to talk about lessons children had completed. I was delighted to showcase a lesson from the Primary Languages network. In which Year 3/4 children used their language skills in role play, with parents involved, which was wonderful.

The children enjoy learning songs and raps, sharing their learning with parents at class assemblies. The youngest children in the school will come through the gate in the morning with a smile saying “Bonjour Madame Clarke”. Year 6 children attend a residential in France in July and having accompanied them twice now I feel so proud when I hear them using their language skills to buy items at the market. Recently we have appointed Year 6 Language Ambassadors who are so eager to help with language activities across the school.
I set out to make language lessons fun and engaging for all our children and I believe that I have succeeded, which gives me great satisfaction.

Here are the stories of students from Duchess Community High School in Alnwick, talking about the importance of languages and their enjoyment of the Anthea Bell translation challenge

Read the stories here!

Thanks to colleagues in the North-East for these stories - one as text and one as a presentation to students in the region.

Where languages took me by Anne McElvoy and Fiona Hill

From Bishop to Washington, the journey of Dr Fiona Hill

On the website of the Institut Français (iFProfs) you can now find podcasts where teachers of French around the world will talk about great moments they recall.

Please click here to view the podcasts.

The IFRU has launched a toolkit on its website  to support teachers of French wishing to make the case for learning French to students, Governors  and parents. The toolkit includes video stories from people telling their story about French.

For more information, please click here.