Fifth and Sixth Form Hispanists, the First to Gain New Spanish Qualification

Mr Iñigo Urreaga Gorostidi, Head of Spanish

Eight Fifth Formers and two L6 Spanish students have obtained the DELE Escolar A2 or B1 qualification. The DELE is the only official Spanish proficiency qualification that certifies the degree of competence and mastery of the Spanish language. This exam is highly recognized worldwide and the Instituto Cervantes in London conducts it on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Education. One of the advantages of the DELE is that it is valid for life and never expires.

Once a student reaches B1 level, the DELE certificate is also a key element for admittance to Spanish Universities and obtaining a student visa in Spain. Beyond academic purposes, DELE certificates are also beneficial when applying for jobs in private or public institutions in Europe, Brazil and North and South America, thus setting pupils apart from their peers.

Our pupils have worked extremely hard and enthusiastically in our weekly DELE lunchtime club; this was an unknown journey for everyone as we were doing it for the first time. Not only have they learnt about the Spanish language and its intricacies but also about the importance of perseverance and determination whilst developing various other skills such as problem-solving, critical-thinking, listening and multi-tasking skills that they can use for the rest of their lives. Having put their skills to the test, they have done the Spanish Department proud.

This is what some students said: “DELE was the hardest exam that I have ever taken. But the confidence that

I have gained in speaking the language and understanding is testament to the fact that the exam, not only is a unique and exciting experience, but improves your linguistic skills and creates a determined and hardworking mindset which is a huge value.”

Freddy, Fifth Form

“Not only has DELE helped me expand my vocabulary in Spanish and made me confident for my GCSE, but turning up every week to prepare for the exam has allowed me to develop important qualities, such as determination and resilience, in order to achieve my goals. Even though it was very difficult, it was a great experience and I would definitely recommend it to anybody with a keen interest in Spanish.” Chris, Fifth Form

On behalf of the Spanish department, I would like to say many congratulations to everyone on their achievement. We now look forward to continuing to work on DELE with some of the current U4 students.

Primary Languages Fair

Amber Chowdhury, L6E, and Rikika Chakraborty, L6E

On Friday 17 March, it was a rainy day down at the Prep School but a group of L6th MFL leaders were determined to create a Modern Foreign Languages Fair that would blow away Bancroft’s Prep, Avon House and Woodford Green Prep Schools.

There were many stalls that were language themed, and we were also able to set up Just Dance so all the children were dancing to hits such as Rasputin, Hips Don’t Lie, and others. Ayaan, Shanuga and I ran a t-shirt designing stall and the children wrote words on their t-shirts such as ‘Bonjour’ or ‘Ich liebe Deutschland’. Anaya and Anya did a fun Guess the Country quiz, whilst Isobel and Chloe used spaghetti and marshmallows to build mini Eiffel

Towers. Holly and I devised a musical quiz in which students had to guess what language the song was in! Dylan, Josh, and Alex incorporated languages and football and all the children loved trying to get a shot in against Dylan! Tomisin, Juliet, Anika, and Anavi designed a biscuit decorating stall and flags from across the world were carefully iced onto biscuits. There were many pain au chocolats and crepes eaten by the excited children. Overall, we had a great time teaching them languages in a fun and interactive way. We want to give a big shout out to Ms Whalley and Mrs Strong for organising the event and ensuring the young visitors were always happy.