Secondary schools from across the North West visited the University for European Day of Languages event
Schoolchildren from across the region have once again visited the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) to mark the annual European Day of Languages event.
More than 150 pupils from Lancashire and the surrounding areas came to the University to meet international students from countries such as France, Germany, Spain and Japan to sample their cultures.
The children were able to take part in some of the nations’ traditions, and also sampled some of their food, as well as trying out a multitude of languages. Students from UCLan talked to them about their experiences of studying abroad, and what they learnt on their travels.
UCLan has held the event for well over 10 years, which was established to encourage children to explore international opportunities and increase their knowledge of other countries and cultures.
Rhys Rothwell, a 14-year-old student from Parklands High School in Chorley, said: “I really enjoyed the day and it has made me aware of the opportunities available on the language course. It was very interesting to find out about people’s experiences.”
"Our pupils really enjoyed the day and it has opened their eyes up to the potential that learning languages allows."
Rebecca Wilkinson, curriculum leader for modern foreign languages at Parklands, added: “Our pupils really enjoyed the day and it has opened their eyes up to the potential that learning languages allows.
“It was particularly interesting learning about people’s experiences during their year studying abroad. It makes me wish that I was able to re-live my year studying internationally.”
Senior Lecturer from the School of Languages and Global Studies Silke Engelbart once again organised the event.
She commented: “We’ve been running this day for well over a decade now, and we’ve had a lot of success with it. The visiting schools seem to take a lot from the experience, including valuable knowledge about other cultures and possible routes for them in their education. We hope that we can continue to inspire the children to feel more confident about improving their skills in other languages.
“The UCLan students who help out with this event always do a brilliant job of engaging with the schoolchildren, and really enjoy sharing their food, stories and traditions from their native countries.”
*Pictured in top banner photo, from L-R, Laila Cropper, Lucy Macintosh, Lois James, Danielle Noteboom, Hannah Cardwell
