Welsh schools & university work together to promote languages
Sanako UK Ltd is proud to support the collaboration between Welsh schools and universities in promoting language education. By working together, they aim to provide students with a comprehensive and immersive learning experience that will prepare them for a globalized world.
Through joint initiatives and programs, Welsh schools and universities are able to offer a diverse range of language courses and resources to students of all ages. This collaboration not only enhances language proficiency but also fosters cultural understanding and appreciation.
At Sanako UK Ltd, we believe in the power of language education to connect individuals and communities. By supporting the partnership between Welsh schools and universities, we hope to contribute to the development of a multilingual and inclusive society in the UK and beyond.
From our own research it is fairly obvious that if Year 8 & Year 9 students dont recognise the advantage of second a language skill at school, then it's highly unlikely they will recognise this at university in whatever career or subject area they choose to pursue.
This is why Sanako UK teamed up with Routes into Languages Cymru, GwE Consortium and Bangor University to deliver an event with fantastic results.
However this could not have been achieved without the hard work and dedication of Ruben Chapela-Orri (Routes Cymru), Stephanie Ann Ellis-Williams (GwE Consortium) and our very own Wendy Adeniji (Sanako UK).
The project aim was invite along hundreds of Year 8 pupils from over ten schools across North Wales and immerse them in the benefits of a second language in their future careers, whatever that might be.
The day began with a welcome
As with all events involving so many young people the day's events were outlined in advance involving;
- A keynote Speech - David Binns from Sanako UK
- Chinese Taster Sessions - Bangor University
- Chinese Bracelets - Bangor Confucius Institute
- MFL Technology Session - Wendy Adeniji, Sanako UK
- British Sign Language - Centre of Sight & Sound
- A University Tour - Bangor University SLA's
Each activity was carefully designed to engage young minds into the wonderful world of languages and how in can help them in their future lives and careers
The Keynote Speech - Modern Languages in the Working World
The keynote speech was delivered by Mr David Binns of Sanako UK to all pupils about the advantages a second language can offer though out your life, and especially at the job interview stage. Really raising the profile of MFL
This extremely successful and impactful talk was an edited version, designed for Year 8 pupils, of the one David has so far delivered to over 426 UK schools already with fantastic results.
The year 8 audience really engaged and listened to David's message and languages in the work place asking many relevant, insightful, and sometimes a bit cheeky, questions.
Throughout the day, and especially at lunchtime, groups of pupils approached David to talk about their own language experience and what advice David could give as they went through their school journey.
The students were then broken into large groups to attend the various sessions on offer
As the pupils were quite young, they were of course really inspired and engaged when the got the opportunity to use the Sanako Connect online languages system which is widely used across Wales, the UK and the world.
The University of Bangor kindly made one of their PC suites available, though most schools use ChromeBooks, and provided headsets. Wendy Adeniji from Sanako UK had posted several exercises on line for pupils to access and complete. After a few minutes of instruction the students were instantly engaged with the exercises, speaking & listening, sentence matching, gap filling, writing etc.
But by far the most popular was the AI enhanced automated pronunciation testing system. They just loved it as they saw it as a game which provided instant feedback and marked their work for the teacher.
It has to be said that teachers loved this too. Many commented about how engaged the pupils were with this activity and how much time the automated assessment facility would save them.
Although teachers had the live audio streaming option to listen and speak to students individually and remotely, pupils were so engaged that the teachers preferred to walk around answering pupils language questions, a really game changer!
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The Chinese Taster & Bracelet Experience
As part of our initiative, the Confucius Institute of Bangor University were excited to offer Chinese taster sessions to students and teachers across the schools. These sessions provide a unique opportunity to explore the rich culture and language of China, while also fostering a greater appreciation for global communication and understanding.
The pupils were also given the opportunity to engage in the creative art of Chinese bracelet making, which they really enjoyed. Many of the pupils wandered into each of the various proudly sessions showing off what they had created to anyone who would listen.
British Sign Language by Sight and Sound
The pupils were also given the opportunity to learn a different type of language, British Sign Language. One again these young minds really engaged and enjoyed the opportunity to lean a few phrases so they could communicate with people with hearing issues
The University Tour by Bangor SLA's
A big shout out to these people who helped make the day run smoothly, thank you so much.
