Kilgraston celebrates European Day of Languages 2022
The European Day of Languages (EDL) is celebrated across Europe on the 26th of September every year. It aims to promote the rich linguistic diversity of Europe and raise awareness of the importance of lifelong language learning for everyone. It was set up by the Council of Europe and was first celebrated in 2001. It provides an excellent opportunity to celebrate languages and explore other cultures.
Language learning brings benefits to young and old – you are never too old to learn a language and to enjoy the opportunities it opens up. Even if you only know a few words of the language of the country that you visit (for example on holiday), this enables you to make new friends and contacts.
At Kilgraston, on Monday 26th September, our Advanced Higher French class will showcase during our school assembly, the importance of language learning.
This year, a t-shirt competition is organised by the EDL. Eilidh, Kiki and Kinvara will launch a KG TEAM EDL t-shirt 2023 competition, giving our Kilgraston pupils the opportunity to take part in this European competition and to show their artistic skills by submitting their design onto our school Teams. There will be 3 categories: Juniors, L4th to L5th and U5th to U6th. Each drawing will be rewarded with House points and the best t-shirt for each category will be forwarded to EDL.
Here is the winning t-shirt design 2022.
We are looking forward to receiving many designs; the overall winner will also receive 10 t-shirts to share with their friends. Allez, à vos crayons.
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.
French at Kilgraston - celebrating La Fête des Rois (Epiphany)
French at Kilgraston continues with pupils from Lower Third, Upper Third and Lower Four taking part in virtual La Fête des Rois celebrations with Kilgraston’s Head of Languages, Mme Depreux, which included a live baking session.
La Fête des Rois is a celebration in France that takes place on Twelfth Night.
It includes a king, a queen and a special cake and the French have combined the cake tradition from the Romans and the arrival of the three wise kings in Bethlehem to create a tradition of their own.
The galette des rois is a cake made from puff pastry with almond paste inside and is eaten on this day. Everyone in the family has a piece of the cake and someone gets to be the king or queen for the day. A little plastic or china figurine is placed inside the cake before serving it, and whoever finds it becomes the king or queen. Originally a bean was placed inside the cake, which is une fève in French, and the word is now used for the figurine too.
The cake is served with a crown on top which the king or queen will wear. During the cutting of the cake, le tirage des rois, the youngest member of the family sometimes goes under the table and says the order in which people should be given a slice.
Mme Depreux also shared a song French children sing on La Fête des Rois day called J’aime la galette and you can listen to this here.