The yearly #CelebrateSpeaking Event is managed on behalf of the National Consortium for Languages Education (NCLE) by the British Council, working in collaboration with the Association for Language Learning (ALL). It is open to all primary and secondary schools.
The focal point of this event is firmly on celebration not competition, providing a fantastic outlet for learners of languages to share their enjoyment of languages.
Die Tulpe by the German poet Josef Guggenmos, a much-loved poem about a tulip blooming in the spring, is ideally suited to be taught in a year 2 class. It is dedicated to the small things in daily life that nonetheless bring so much joy to children (and adults) and are often overlooked these days in the busyness of life. It allows for exploration not only of language but also biology and the wider world, thus encouraging learning that goes beyond one subject, very much in line with Europa School UK’s stimulating curricula.
That six- and seven-year olds can rise to the challenge of learning and performing poems in front of their peers, or indeed a camera, showcases Europa School UK’s approach to
learning. From Reception our children are taught to celebrate the benefits of living in a multicultural, inclusive world where learning languages is seen as a natural part of their education and of building bridges.
All children in 2DE learnt the poem beautifully and many chose to participate in this festival taking the daring step of putting their performances on the School’s twitter/X account. Their confidence and joy is to be celebrated!
From all these lovely performances Louis’ was chosen as a ‘favourite’ and he has been asked to perform live in the national Celebrate Speaking Event on 25 April at 15.30. This is a huge achievement and we are all very proud of him.
We are very grateful to the British Council, the NCLE, the ALL, our language partner, the Goethe-Institut and, as always, the German Embassy in London, for their encouragement.
Dr Daniela Havenstein