What do you think that your role is as a language ambassador?

It is a pretty prestigious role and I try to help promote languages across the school, encouraging and ethusing pupils.  I help out in class, assisting students to reach their full potential and I am also Señora Said’s artist in residence. I have drawn quite a few pictures that classes may have seen in lessons, such as the pirate when Year 8s looked at El Día de Los Muertos.

She said she did it herself!

She lies.

Do you have any language qualifications?

I got a B in GCSE German and my favourite word is Jawohl!  I have also learnt quite a lot of French and Spanish from being in lessons.

We know from the Languages Day bingo game that your brother lives in The Czech republic.  

Yes, my brother really likes to travel, and he has lived all over Europe since he was 18 years old.  He has lived in Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Austria and the Czech Republic.

So he’s as interested in travelling as you are in languages.

Oh definitely!

Do you know much about their culture?

As a Christmas tradition, people from the Czech Republic don’t have turkey.  Instead, they get a carp (a big fish), which they buy at the start of December and keep in their bath tub for a month. Throughout that month they feed it lots of different things to give it flavour for when they eat it on Christmas day. However, their Christmas day is actually in early January.

It’s strange how every culture has something eccentric about their Christmas. I like how in the last month of its life it gets treated extremely well, as it’s lavished with food.

They will all have a shower, with the carp just swimming around.

Have you ever seen the carps that people buy at that time?

I have seen them up for sale the last time I was there, for others to put in their bath tubs, but have yet to see one in a bath tub.

How important do you think it is that someone should learn a language?

Very important, as it helps you with so many different careers and it gives you more confidence.  The curriculum intent up in the MFL block shows you where your languages can take you.

Do you have any plans for your future as a language ambassador?

Well, just today I drew yet another picture for Miss Said, and I imagine that is what I will mostly be doing.  Although, I do love covering Spanish lessons, as I never had a Spanish lesson at school which means that the pupils usually know more Spanish than I do.   So I learn quite a bit when covering those lessons. I think our students are so lucky to get the chance to do 2 foreign languages.

Ben’s mum works in human resources. Every time she sees a CV with a language qualification, even if they don’t have the qualifications for the job she is looking for, she considers them, and puts them to one side.

My wife works in a company, and when she was applying, as it was a German company, her GCSE in German helped her get the job.  Now, she usually has to travel to Germany as part of her job.

Would you like any additional responsibilities?

No, I’m happy with my current role.  I’m also mainly in it for the badge 🙂