This week, students at Exeter School immersed themselves in a vibrant celebration of language, culture and international understanding as part of our annual European Day of Languages festivities.
Led by the Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) department, the week encouraged students to explore the fascinating origins of languages from around the world while developing curiosity, confidence and cultural awareness through a range of engaging activities.
Exploring Languages Through the WOLLOW Programme
Throughout the week, lessons focused on where languages come from and how words evolve across cultures and countries. As part of our WOLLOW programme of study, pupils became language detectives, hunting for clues hidden within familiar words and discovering connections between different languages.
The activities sparked thoughtful discussions in classrooms and encouraged students to reflect on the richness and diversity of global communication.
Guess the Teacher Language Challenge
One of the highlights of the celebrations was the much-anticipated ‘Guess the Teacher’ quiz, which took place on Friday morning.
Pupils listened to short recordings of staff members speaking in a variety of languages and attempted to identify both the language and the teacher. The quiz showcased the impressive linguistic diversity within the Exeter School community, with languages including Welsh, Russian, Mandarin, Italian, Dutch and Pashto featured among many others.
The challenge created plenty of excitement and demonstrated the truly international outlook that is such an important part of life at Exeter School.
European Day of Languages Bake-Off Competition
To round off the celebrations, pupils took part in a European Day of Languages Bake-Off competition, with an array of creative and delicious entries inspired by cuisines from across Europe.
Huge congratulations go to Isaac in Goff House, who claimed first place with an outstanding Black Forest Gateau.
Our runners-up also impressed the judges with their exceptional bakes:
Second place: Sher (Walker House) for a beautifully made tarte aux pommes
Joint third place: Hannah (Walker House) for her orange cake and Spencer (Dowrich House) for a classic tiramisu
A special mention also goes to Cornelia and Georgia for their wonderfully creative cake decorations.
Celebrating Culture, Creativity and Community
The European Day of Languages celebrations provided a wonderful opportunity for pupils to embrace new cultures, celebrate linguistic diversity and showcase their creativity both inside and outside the classroom.
Thank you to all of our pupils, parents and carers for their enthusiasm and support in making this year’s festivities such a success.
