Languages Day

How does one reconcile language and culture on a Languages Day and make them come alive?

Different strategies came to mind  as the Chinese and French sections of the Language Department teamed up to offer activities to the students at Berwick Grammar School. It was indeed food for thought!

Looking up the etymology of the word – food – it is interesting to see how in various languages, the word is related both to nourishment for the body and the soul. One of those rare cases where dualism does not get in the way.  In French, for example, we say that in order to get to a man’s heart or mind, ‘ il faut passer par son estomac’. In other words, one has to appeal to his appetite.

It was thus in such spirit that we prepared for Languages Day at BGS with activities that ranged from dumpling making, magic, martial arts, parkour, crepes – and to finish it all: a trivia quiz in the library!

Students rotated from one activity to another, catching a glimpse of a card that seems to keep disappearing from our sight into the pocket of Mr Kreibich, or practicing the art of Kung Fu with Master Cheng. Who could resist the taste of hot chicken and vegetable dumplings or a crepe dripping with chocolate sauce, preferably, after having completed the balance exercises with the  Parkour instructors.

Languages Day was a time for our students to find out that language learning can be as tasty and filling as a dumpling or a crepe, as magical as a card trick, as physical as martial arts and parkour exercises.

In short, it is full of what life has to offer!