Studying modern languages at Kilgraston – annual Heriot-Watt University multi lingual debate

Studying modern languages at Kilgraston – annual Heriot-Watt University multi lingual debate

Studying modern languages at Kilgraston offers the chance to attend a variety of events each year, including the annual Heriot-Watt University multi lingual debate.

This year, due to COVID, the event took place online and our Advanced Higher French class attended.

The Multilingual Debate is a free-to-attend annual event hosted by Heriot-Watt University where topical issues are debated in multiple languages, including Chinese, French, German, Spanish and British Sign Language. The debates are interpreted live into English by Heriot-Watt’s Undergraduate and Postgraduate Language students and it gives Heriot-Watt University’s Interpreting students a taste of live conference-interpreting in front of an audience as well as inspiring the next generation of language students to continue their language learning.

This year there were five speakers, one German, one french, two Spanish and one using British Sign Language. Our class could access the English and BSL translation and also switch off between each language.

The class really enjoyed it, and it gave them an insight of one the use of language learning, and see how important and fascinating they are.