On a crisp, cold December evening, an enthusiastic group of Year 11, 12 and 13 linguists visited St Dunstan’s College in Catford and were treated to a 'Careers in Languages' evening. The event was billed as a chance to attend an inspiring evening to unlock a world of opportunities with languages. Students explored the diverse and rewarding career paths that language skills can open up. They discovered many incredible opportunities listening to speakers from top organisations such as GCHQ, Military Intelligence, the Foreign Office, and the UN. They also heard first hand from a panel of current language undergraduates, who shared their experiences of studying languages at university. Additionally, they had the opportunity to take part in a fascinating taster session of Japanese, hosted by Kings Language Centre. Many BGS students came away inspired about future career possibilities of which they had not been aware prior to the evening.

Mrs Watkins, MFL Department

The trip to St Dunstan's was amazing! At the beginning of the event, we listened to a presentation by a group of people who are currently studying languages at university and using them in their jobs. It was very interesting as we also found out about different job ideas, such as working with GCHQ, MI5 and MI6. I had such a good time looking at the different stalls, where we were also given freebies too! The school was so grand and it was overall an amazing experience!

Gracie Gosling, Year 12

I really enjoyed the language trip to St Dunstan's - we enjoyed a variety of talks from a range of people using languages daily in their work and I found it fascinating to see the variety of ways that languages can be used in work. Translators aren't the only jobs, there are many others, such as GCHQ Language Analysts, Hotel Managers and many others. It gave an amazing insight into the pathway languages can give you in the future and I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to take part.

Rafael De Souza-Plans, Year 11

Tuesday brought an exciting opportunity for Bexley Grammar School MFL department, in collaboration with St Dunstan's College, who provided an amazing event on the subject of careers in languages. The night was a fantastic, information-filled evening where I got to hear from many linguists, such as a representative from the United Nations, members of the British Army - Intelligence Corps, GCHQ, university students and graduates, business owners, teachers and more. I think the most interesting moment for me was the question panel at the end!

As someone who is hard of hearing, and fascinated by sign language around the world, I thought it would be interesting to hear if any of the professional linguists had any interaction with foreign sign languages. The silence after I had asked this question was powerful, as all the best linguists that could be brought to the career evening expressed their bewilderment and interest in sign language, but none had learnt any sign in the over 300 sign languages in existence, that provide over 70 million people with communication in the world. This question also led to some fascinating personal conversations, including with some of the panellists about my experiences with language and communication. I hope this spreads awareness to all present in the evening, and those reading this, about the prevalence of sign language around the world.

Louis Luckman, Year 11

I recently had the opportunity of a lifetime to go to Japan with the MFL department. There were 15 students and 2 adults (thank you to Ms Zotova and Mr Adams for their help!). We were all on an exchange program with a Japanese school called Keio, a prestigious high school connected to one of the best universities in Japan (ranked third according to unirank 2024).

I believe that the exchange program is what makes the trip, especially at Bexley Grammar, so great! I first met my exchange partner, Issei, in late February this year when he came to England and stayed with us for a week as well as going to Cambridge as a school for a couple of days) and he got to experience British food, school and traffic (which was quite a shock I think).

We had contacted each other before that, so we knew each other, but it was incredible to form such a close friendship with someone on the other side of the world. When I went to Japan, Issei and his family picked me up from the airport, and after a group photo, took me to their house. His mum had prepared an amazing meal for lunch, with two different types of noodles, steak, fruit and tea, and we started getting to know each other. It was a great opportunity to practice my conversational Japanese, and I surprised myself with how much of the conversation I was able to keep up with.

Throughout the four days I had with them (a weekend and two school days), I learnt more about the Japanese language, culture and general life, which was invaluable to my studies and to my personal knowledge of the country. There was even an election at the time, so I got to watch some of the coverage in Japanese! The family were so enthusiastic about me being there and all of my worries were gone within a matter of minutes after meeting them. Even their dog welcomed me with lots of cuddles.

As well as with the family, I was immersed in Japanese culture in school, where I experienced lessons from Art to Spanish, and activities from broadcasting a message to the entire school​, to Japanese extracurricular activities like Karuta (a card game based on memorising parts of Japanese poems). One of the things that was most interesting to me was classroom etiquette, which included it being considered rude to drink without permission, but completely fine to fall asleep in class, as it represents the hard work of the students making them tired.

As the final part of the trip, we went to Kyoto, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Harajuku, to explore even more of Japan, with its unique combination of vibrant and modern cities and traditional culture spanning centuries and centuries. We travelled by the world-famous Shinkansen (bullet train), catching views of Mt. Fuji and the countryside, and then dived into culture in a beautiful castle previously associated with the Shogun, and its surrounding natural beauty, all of which was breathtaking. To see these amazing sites was something I have dreamed of for years, so it was fantastic! And what would a trip to Japan be without karaoke (or maybe two... or three)?

I would like to thank everyone that had a role in organising the trip, especially Mr Adams, and my host family, and the other people on the trip who I have made memories of a lifetime with! Everyone worked together to make this an experience that is impossible to forget! I can't wait to stay in contact with my host family and hopefully meet them again soon!

Louis Luckman, Year 11

Our dedicated team members not only organised the event, but also got involved at home to prepare all of the homemade desserts and popular traditional dishes from our cultures. We want to thank everyone for their support - every purchase has a huge impact! It was amazing to see how well-received our efforts were, and the enthusiasm with which people were willing to try something new.

“The bake sale was genuinely excellent for discovering different traditions, because I’d never even heard of half of the things they were selling, but it was surprisingly good.”
Lou Annarumma

“I liked that there were lots of cakes that I wouldn’t normally have tried, but the honey cake I did have was very nice. There was a good selection of things to choose from.”
Mr Whittaker

“The B.E.E.S. events are definitely ones that inspire ACS. Their exponential growth having just started this year is commendable, and every society should take a note out of the BEES book”  
Ify, ACS Co-President

“Being able to share traditional desserts from my Bulgarian culture was an amazing opportunity, and I’m so glad everyone enjoyed all the delicious food all the B.E.E.S. members supplied!”
Deya Dimitrova

As well as this, I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved for providing an amazing representation of our diverse cultures and backgrounds, allowing us to offer a taste of the rich history and significance behind our recipes, particularly from Poland, Bulgaria and Romania.

We are currently working with Rubikus, a charity committed to providing aid to Ukraine in response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by the war. Their motivated team of volunteers directly helps to evacuate and situate refugees most affected by the conflict into newer, safer homes. The money we have raised has gone towards covering transportation costs and lodgings needed for an evacuation, offering a lifeline to someone who is suffering. Rubikus’ purpose and dedication is inspiring for us all, and we are honoured to be able to assist them in their mission. If you would like to read more about their cause, find their website here https://helpua.rubikus.de/en/#survey, and they are welcoming any donations through paypal - https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RX494MS6H29Q2

Every donation helps towards making a massive difference in the course of someone’s life.

For any questions about future events or getting involved, please feel free to email us at bees.bgs@gmail.com!

Victoria Karasimova, President and Founder (B.E.E.S.)

It marks the end of the Monsoon Season in Cambodia AND it celebrates the change in direction of the Tonlé Sap River. (It is the only river in the world that flows up and downstream seasonally and is viewed as a miracle). 

To celebrate, there are: boat races with boats decorated to represent the Hindu and Buddhist gods of the Moon and River, lanterns honoring the full moon adorn the riverbanks, fireworks, traditional costumes and special food such as Ambok, a rice dish served with roasted banana and coconut.

Caitlin Gorman, Year 10

Here are some of the lanterns made by students
on display in the MFL department.

We aim to raise awareness about our traditions, sharing our culture with the school community. It has been amazing to see how many students have interacted with our Balkan and Eastern European cultures, and learnt more about our countries! We are a team of dedicated Ambassadors, Creative Directors, including a Social Media Director, Finance Manager, President and Vice President, from a wide range of countries, such as Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Russia, Moldova, Serbia, Croatia, etc. 

I’d just like to say a big thank you to Victoria Karasimova for organising and forming the society and Ms Zotova for being our teacher representative!

As well as this, we aim to fundraise for many Balkan and Eastern European charities with our events. This includes our Bake Sale on the 25th of November. It will be a special opportunity to try our homemade Balkan and Eastern European desserts. We can’t wait to share this part of our culture with you. Make sure to look out for the posters and posts on our Social Media pages! @bees.bgs 

On the 14th October, we hosted a traditional dance session and learnt Bulgarian and Albanian dances. It was so great to see many people taking part in this and stepping out of their comfort zones. It was such a fun experience and a successful first B.E.E.S event! See the pictures below of this event. 

We hope to see you at the B.E.E.S Bake Sale, where all our proceeds are going to charity! For any further questions or ideas, please don’t hesitate to reach out at @bees.bgs on Instagram or email bees.bgs@gmail.com! 

Deya Dimitrova, Social Media Manager (B.E.E.S)

The MFL2 Fest opened its doors to the entire school during break time, allowing everyone to partake in the festivities. Later, during Period 3, the event was exclusively enjoyed by the Y10 MFL2 students, providing them with a more immersive experience exclusively for dual linguists.

One of the highlights of the festival was the array of ten food stalls, each offering a taste of the food and cultures linked to the languages studied at BGS: Spanish, Italian, French, German, Russian, Japanese and Chinese. The Y10 MFL prefects prepared an assortment of international delicacies, from crispy churros and mini pizzas to refreshing bubble tea and sweet tanghulu. This culinary journey around the world was a hit, bringing together flavours that delighted the palate and celebrated global diversity.

In addition to the gastronomic delights, the MFL2 Fest featured a variety of cultural activities. The cultural section was a hub of creativity and learning, with face painting, calligraphy stands, origami making, and a book stall, as well as a raffle and sticker stand.

The dedication of the Y10 language prefects, combined with the enthusiastic participation of the school community, made the festival a memorable and enriching experience for all.

Ms Giglione, MFL Department

Click on the link here to view the MFL2 Fest Photo Gallery.

We stayed with an Italian family in Ms Contini’s home town of Isili, which was perhaps the most memorable part of our trip. Their warm hospitality and delicious home-made meals made us feel right at home.

We began in Cagliari, Sardinia's vibrant capital, where we soaked up the lively atmosphere of the city and learnt about its history. Before we met our families, we went to one of the three breathtaking beaches we were due to visit, called Poetto, and although the water was cold, the memorable experience with friends made all other worries disappear.

On the second day, we stayed in Isili and visited the museum of textiles and copper, which offered us a fascinating glimpse into Isili’s rich traditions and craft skills, deepening our appreciation for the island's cultural heritage. We didn't just stick to the land; a canoeing excursion gave us a chance to see the San Sebastián Church from a different perspective and learn about the many legends that took place there. Paddling through the waters was both thrilling and tranquil.

A particularly heart-warming visit was to Centro Cetacei marine animal rescue centre in Nora. Seeing the dedication of the volunteers and the recovery of the animals touched us deeply. Eating a home-made lunch by Nora beach enlightened us, and we enjoyed the hot weather and clear waters.

History came alive as we explored the ancient Nora archaeological site, a window into the city’s past.

The adventure continued as we ventured deep into the Zuddas Cave, where we marvelled at the formations of stalactites and stalagmites and the deep history behind the cave.

The last beach, Porto Pino, was by far the best in my opinion: the waters were clear, the sand pristine and the weather hot. That day was also the day of Sant’ Antonio, who is a Saint celebrated in Isili. Therefore, we spent the night dancing with the families and with each other.

On the last day, the natural beauty of Sardinia was on full display during our visit to Giara National Park, where we were surrounded by lush landscapes, stunning vistas and the largest population of wild horses in Europe.

As we bid farewell to Sardinia, our hearts were heavy as we were leaving; however, we were thankful for the incredible experiences and the warm hospitality we encountered. Sardinia has left a mark on our hearts, and we carry the spirit of the island with us as we return home, forever enriched by the memories we've made.

Krishal Patel, Year 10

Staying with my host family in Sardinia was an amazing experience. They were very welcoming and friendly. One cultural difference I noticed was how they enjoy long, leisurely meals together, which made me feel very much at home.

One of my favourite visits was to the city of Cagliari. The historical buildings and beautiful views of the sea were breathtaking. It was fascinating to learn about the city's rich history.

I loved all the Italian meals we had, but my favourite was the home-made lasagne my host family made. The flavours were incredible, and it was so fresh and delicious!

Our time in the hall with all the families was fantastic. It was fun to see everyone together, sharing stories and enjoying each other's company. It made the trip even more special.

Overall, my trip to Sardinia was unforgettable, filled with wonderful people, delicious food, and beautiful places.

Anagha Pai, Year 10

After having been to Sardinia, I can easily say that it has a special place in my heart. The locals were caring and kind and the food was tantalising as well. We will never have pasta like that in England. The weather was pleasant, and our host families were courteous.

During our holiday, we explored many parts of the wonderful island of Sardinia and learnt all about its history and culture, ranging from the Nuraghi, the city walls in Cagliari and archaeological ruins and buildings. Furthermore, we went to three unique, golden beaches. Although the waters were transparent, they were very salty and didn’t taste very nice.

One of the highlights of my holiday was meeting my host family. Although it was daunting at first, she welcomed me with open arms, improved my Italian and taught me all about her culture. I didn’t know that it was normal to eat rabbits in Italy. She was like a second mother to me and I will never forget her. Another highlight of my trip was being able to venture around the island by ourselves. I feel that buying food at shops has not only improved my Italian vocabulary, but has made me more confident in what I say in Italian.

Overall, this trip has been an amazing experience and I would recommend anybody who is thinking about travelling to Sardinia to go.

Braiden Dolan, Year 10

Click on the link here to view the Sardinia Photo Gallery.

Braiden (Italian)
Harvey (Italian)
Hana (Spanish)
sabelle (Spanish)
Ritad (Spanish)
Millie (German)
Aashraya (Japanese)
Darina (Russian)
Lev (Chinese)

The judging panel, composed of three Sixth Form students, assessed each speech based on three criteria: message, intonation, and delivery. After all nine speeches were presented, the panel reconvened to nominate the winner, 2nd place, and 3rd place. This was a particularly challenging decision due to the high quality of all the speeches.

Our heartfelt congratulations to:

• Hana for winning 1st place
• Darina for securing 2nd place
• Harvey for achieving 3rd place

We extend our gratitude to all nine participants and their friends for attending the finale with such a positive attitude, and to our judges - Sifat, James, and Jasreen - for their time and professionalism.

Ms Giglione, MFL Department

We met with the other schools and began our debates by flipping a coin, determining who was ‘for’ and who was ‘against’. The atmosphere was very supportive, with audience members of friends and teachers, yet tense as the debates sometimes got incredibly heated.

Speaking for all those at BGS who participated, the experience was incredibly helpful to real world experiences, talking about current issues with native speakers and others who are in the same boat as us, learning languages. I found my Spanish improved immensely, just through the few weeks I spent preparing it, and it has given me a new drive to improve to a new level of its native speakers.

The event ran smoothly, and everyone was so supportive of each other, with students from different schools and languages talking and getting to know each other. I am super proud of our school for hosting the event and hope for years to come students participate in language events like this, not only to help with confidence for learners but also to deepen connections with other schools and other speakers.

Ella Curl, Year 12

Our first day started off with a relaxing boat ride along the river Elbe, from where we could see many landmarks of Hamburg and its wonderfully green banks. We then resided on a sandy bank where we ate lunch. Afterwards, we wandered to St. Michael’s church, a staple of Hamburg, where we climbed up a copious number of stairs in order to see a wonderful view of Hamburg from above. We were then able to spend the afternoon with our exchange partners going around Hamburg.

The second day started with school, in which we were able to see the learning environments of our exchange partners and how they differed from our school environment. We were first greeted by their Headteacher, followed by 3 double periods of lessons, including any from English (where they are studying Romeo and Juliet), PE, Drama, Chemistry and/or Art. Afterwards, we had lunch with our partners and then promptly gathered outside Schoko Versum, a chocolate factory, where we received a tour on how chocolate was made, starting in the rainforest, ending up seeing the different machines used in the process and trying how chocolate tasted at each stage.

Our third day was spent in Lübeck, an old city slightly north of Hamburg. We went on a tour of the city including Museum Holstentor, the gate that was the main entrance to the city, built in 1464 and is still standing (though leans slightly due to the lack of foundation under the connecting wall between the two towers), the narrow streets built when the population of Lübeck was very high and housing was needed, but there was a lack of space, seeing a bus that drove on both land and in the water, and other buildings like St. Peter's church, all built with red bricks as Lübeck does not have natural stone to build with. We then got a few hours to go round in our own groups and see more of Lübeck, like the marzipan museum and shop, as Marzipan originated from Lübeck and became very popular for its use as table decoration due to its ability to be coloured and moulded into different shapes.

On Sunday we had the whole day to go round Hamburg with our exchange partners to see more sights. For example, going to Elbphilharmonie, a concert hall in Hamburg, and also another great opportunity to see Hamburg from above, Planten un Blomen, which is a beautiful flower park and a wonderful water show, or viewing parts of the Ironman, a massive triathlon event which happened to land on the same Sunday we were in Hamburg.

We are all so grateful to Dr Symons for being able to rearrange this trip for us after last year’s mishap with the flight being cancelled and this only being established once we had arrived at the airport. It was a wonderful experience from which many of us plan to revisit our exchange partners in Hamburg. In addition, many thanks to Frau Knebler for hosting us and helping organise the trip. And finally, thank you to Mr Adams for accompanying us.

Charlie Furlong, Year 10

We started off by visiting the rescue centre for marine life in the Nora lagoon, west of Cagliari, where we were given the opportunity to learn a great deal about various species of marine creatures, such as sea cucumbers, starfish and various cetaceans. The highlight of this session was seeing real life sea turtles that had been rescued and were being cared for by the staff at the rescue centre - although this was also a reminder of how humans are negatively impacting these wonderful creatures, for example through plastic waste.

We then enjoyed a lovely, sunny afternoon on the beach, and swam in gorgeous turquoise waters!

The next day, we explored the city of Cagliari: our guide, an expert archaeologist, took us to see the underground Roman remains of streets and houses that were found accidentally under a church in 1999! We then went for a walking tour in Cagliari, learning all about the city’s origins and especially focussing on the fortification of the city in mediaeval times.

After a stop for lunch, we headed to the beach once again, to have a little swim at Poetto beach, with the backdrop of the Sella Del Diavolo (the Devil’s Saddle) - a very impressive rock formation.

The following day, we took a long bus ride to the heart of Sardinia, to learn all about the carnival traditions of Mamoiada, focussing specifically on the Mamuthones masks. We learnt about the important functions of these masks parading the streets in winter, on the day of Saint Anthony, to cast away evil spirits that would threaten the harvest, and also to ward off death and sorrow and look forward to spring. We visited the workshop of a mask maker, who explained in detail how masks are made and the importance of Mamuthones for the identity of the people of Mamoiada today.

In the afternoon, we moved to the nearby town of Orgosolo, famous for its mural paintings that express important messages of peace and social justice and refer to important historical events, such as the 1968 uprising by the local people against the construction of a NATO military base that would have taken away their lands (precious for pastures) and also international events such as the war in Iraq or Tien An Men square.

The next day we headed north towards Alghero, stopping by two very important prehistoric sites - the Necropolis of Bonorva and the impressive Nuraghe of Santu Antine. In both sites, we appreciated some buildings and burials dating back to 6000 years ago, and we reflected on how prehistoric humans had similar needs and belief systems to ours, such as customs relating to the afterlife, hierarchical structures, the need to belong etc. We then spent the afternoon in Alghero relaxing on the beach, at yet another stunning location.

We spent our last day exploring Alghero, learning about its history, from its founding by a noble family from Genoa to its conquest by the Catalans, and the importance of coral for the local economy. The highlight of this day was the visit to the spectacular Nettuno caves, and the boat ride there, again surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery.

It was a wonderful experience for both staff and students, and even though we came back extremely tired, we all feel incredibly enriched by this experience.

Students' comments:

As an anthropology student, I found this trip to not only be educational but also extremely fun and entertaining. Over the week, I got closer to my peers and my teachers, and I picked up several new Italian words; one would think I am bilingual. Overall, I really enjoyed the sun and warm temperatures. Furthermore, I was in awe of the beaches, they were so clear (thankfully there were no jellyfish)! I would love to visit Sardinia again in the future. It was an amazing experience 10/10.
Harleen         

The trip was such a good experience; not only did we learn lots which could be applied to anthropology, but it was also planned out very well so that we got lots of free time to enjoy ourselves with our friends and on the beaches. Sardinia was a great trip, and I'd recommend it to anyone who gets the opportunity to go.
Albert

It is so difficult to choose what the most enjoyable aspect of the trip was, as the whole trip was an amazing experience. The weather was absolutely perfect, so we had three days when we went to the beach, and it was gorgeous. I also really loved learning about the history of Sardinia and going to the centre for marine biology in Nora. Overall, it was a great trip where I got to know my classmates better and ate lots of delicious ice cream.  
Amélie

This trip was genuinely one of the best weeks of my life. I have made life-long memories and I have strengthened my friendships and independence. Sardinia is an amazing place and Miss Contini planned the best tour and showcased all the best parts of her homeland, and we all fell in love with it. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back and relive the memories over again, and I would recommend it to anyone, not only for the beautiful beaches, but for the history and unique culture.
Ella

Please click on the link here to view the Sardinia 2024 Photo Gallery.

In May, the MFL Department ran their very first MFL trip to Oxford University with a selection of our Year 10 and Year 12 linguists. The focus of the trip was to give our most enthusiastic linguists a glimpse of the opportunities that studying languages at university could open, especially when combined with another subject in joint degrees. On the day, students had the chance to attend some very informative sessions led by Nicola Brown, School Liaison Officer at the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, and Sarah Large, Outreach Program Coordinator at Mansfield College. After a taster lecture in literature, our group met two BGS alumni, Lucas and Harry, for a private tour of Hertford College.

Our students were not only inspired by the academic sessions but also by the personal stories and experiences shared by the student ambassadors and our BGS alumni. The opportunity to explore the beautiful and historic campus of Oxford University was an unforgettable experience that has sparked a newfound motivation and curiosity in our linguists. Witnessing their excitement and engagement throughout the day was incredibly rewarding.

Ms Giglione and Dr Symons
MFL Department

On the 17th May, I, along with 24 other Year 10 language leaders and Year 12s, visited Mansfield College (Oxford University). When we arrived at the college, after a brief walk through the beautiful grounds, we were offered biscuits and refreshments, which we enjoyed outside under the shade of parasols in the warm sun. Afterwards, we attended a lecture where we learnt about the process of applying to university and the various opportunities and jobs that having a language degree offered, which included careers in law, advertising and education. Shortly after, there was a Q&A with three Oxford students, which I found immensely interesting and learnt that studying languages involves a lot of culture as well as literature, which made me more eager to continue to learn languages in the future.

After the lectures, we were taken around the college for a tour, where we saw the beautiful library as well as the impressive artwork of some Oxford students which were decorated around the corridors, some of which were celebrating the anniversary of when women were first admitted into the university. We then attended a seminar, where we analysed an 18th Century text, which gave us a fascinating insight into the literature segment of studying languages at university, which was shortly followed by a tour of Hertford College led by two BGS alumni; Harry and Lucas.

The trip was an excellent opportunity for me to understand the experience and enjoyment which comes with studying languages at university, as well as providing a general overview of the application process of university - I definitely recommend this to anyone who is given the opportunity to go on this trip!

Hana Ostrowski, Year 10

It was incredibly interesting to have an early look at how Modern Foreign Languages are studied at Oxford University and what daily life for students is like throughout its different colleges. A highlight for me was the academic taster session, where we were split into different groups and given a text translated from French. From there, we then had to find and use specific details from it in order to gather inferences about its origin, context and story. Listening to different interpretations from different groups shows us how diverse our individual understanding of linguistics can be.

Berad Musov, Year 10

The trip to Oxford University was an amazing experience. Visiting Mansfield College was extremely inspirational. We got to learn about the courses they offered, student life and even had a taster lesson. We then visited Hertford college. There we also saw the dorms, dining hall and its chapel. It was altogether a great experience. Thank you to Dr Symons and Miss Giglione for taking the time to put this trip together.

Caitlyn Osei-Tutu

Please click on the link here to view the MFL Trip to Oxford University. 

For their MFL Diploma Year 7, students created a piece of work about themselves using the vocabulary they have learnt in lessons so far this year. Diplomas were judged on the quality of language and presentation.

This year we had some absolutely wonderful projects with examples of outstanding language and creativity. The award for Best French Diploma goes to Suriya (7JR) and the Best German Diploma to Aysu (7LC).

Well done to all our Year 7 students for completing this project on time and to such a high standard.

Click on the link here to view the Year 7 MFL Diploma Photo Gallery

Malin Karasimov, 13 KSK

During the first part of the Easter holidays, we visited Riga in Latvia and Tallinn in Estonia. I really enjoyed it! We went to local museums and restaurants, and had guided tours of the two cities' old towns, which are truly beautiful. We had opportunities to explore the cities for ourselves, buy souvenirs, take hundreds of photos, and find out about local culture. For me, it was not just a welcome break from preparing for GCSEs, but one of the best weeks of my life :)

Here are some of my favourite memories (the full list would be way too long):

• The tour of Riga old town - we had a legendary tour guide.
• Swinging on the swings, a Latvian Easter tradition (apparently it stops mosquitoes from attacking you during summer!).
• Listening to street musicians on a pretty lit-up evening in Riga.
• Seeing the old Soviet radio equipment in the Viru hotel & KGB museum in Tallinn.
• Making traditional pelmeni and vareniki dumplings at the Troika restaurant (and eating them).
• Malin, doing maths from a textbook at 7 am in the hotel lobby.
• Countless friends group in-jokes.

Winter Smythe, 11AMM

At 5am on the first day of the Easter holidays, a group of sleepy Russian-speaking students from Year 9 up to Year 13 embarked on a six-day adventure in Latvia and Estonia. Between balmy, sunny Riga at 17°C and rainy, snowy, windy Tallinn at 0°C, we had it all - culture and history, VR games, a cooking workshop, a walk in the woods and a visit to an Estonian Russian-speaking school. For many students, it was the first residential secondary school trip, a chance to spend time with their friends in a new environment. Not just the students, the members of staff who went on the trip had an amazing time too!

Ms Zotova, MFL Department

Click here to view the Baltic States Trip 2024 Photo Gallery

Mrs Savage, MFL Department

Click on the link here to view the Culture Day 2024 Photo Gallery.

Bailes en Linea

A large number of students in Years 10 and 11 joined Ms Giglione in the hall in their lunch period for some Bailes en Linea (South American Line Dancing). It was very energetic and great fun was had by all!

Biscuit Decorating

At lunch, I participated in the biscuit making in L3 and I thought it was really fun. It was a really good way of representing your country through creating unique designs using the abundance of different colours of icing. For example, since I am from Jamaica, I created the Jamaican flag as the design for my biscuit.

Elijah, Year 11

International Games Culture Day

To celebrate Culture Day, the Language Club prefects hosted a session of International Games. We played Romanian Scrabble, as well as German Bananagrams. It was good to learn about how different cultures play games that are widely known around the world.

Overall, it was really fun and something that would be fun to do again!

Caitlin Gorman, Year 9

International Crafts

On Culture day, I helped to run the fan making activity during P6 lunch. We didn't know if it would be popular, but we ended up with around 20 people! It was fun and easy to do. I would encourage everyone to be involved in activities on any future Culture days.

Lucy, Year 11

Find the Flags Competition

Throughout the day, students raced to find and name 20 flags hidden all over the school. Students who were successful claimed a small prize from the MFL Office!

Year 7 Media Correspondents
Culture Day Report

On Friday 15th March, Culture Day was run by the SEAS and ACS which was lots of fun for everyone, with many activities throughout the day including biscuit decorating, a challenge to find country flags around the school, an international parade and food stalls!

As well as this, many students wore clothes from their home countries, showing classmates all about where they come from. We are all individuals in a big supportive group, and we respect everyone, and take the opportunity when given to learn about other cultures.

Culture day gives pupils the opportunity to celebrate and represent their cultures as well as a chance for everybody to embrace the customs, traditions and languages that make each culture unique.

Lily, Year 7, said “It was a great opportunity to learn about other people's cultures and heritages.”

Paige, Year 7, said “I really enjoyed culture day as it was a chance to celebrate other people's cultures and traditions.”

Aysu, Tanvi and Kendra, Year 7 Media Correspondents

Click on the link here to view the Culture Day 2024 Photo Gallery.

Mrs Savage, MFL Department

The language puzzles were presented in the following languages for the Intermediate level, which was sat by 4 teams:

1. Xhosa, or isiXhosa: one of the eleven official languages of South Africa. Xhosa is spoken by approximately 10 million people as their first language, and by 11 million people as an additional language, mostly in South Africa, making it the second most widely spoken language in South Africa after Zulu.

2. Tariana: an endangered language spoken in the Vaupés river area in Brazil, close to the border with Columbia. There are about 100 speakers left of Tariana, while there are a further 1,500 Tariana people who no longer speak the language.

3. The Adinkra symbols: these are symbols that represent concepts originally created by the Bono people (Ghana). They represent various concepts or proverbs and can be used to convey various morals or beliefs.

4. Kannada: a Dravidian language spoken by around 60 million people, primarily in the Karnataka state in south-west India. It is written in the Kannada script, and has a literary tradition dating back over 1000 years.

 In order to solve these puzzles, students have to use a range of skills: pattern-recognition, analysis, lateral thinking and problem solving. What’s most impressive is that competitors have to not only make these analyses mentally, but also put them into words in an explicit explanation of how the underlying system works in order to solve the challenge.

We are very proud to have such brilliant, talented linguists in our school, and we wish them the best of luck while we wait for their results. Last but not least, well done to Ashna Adhikari for coordinating all teams!

Ms Giglione, MFL Department

Below you can find some of the challenges from the Intermediate paper.

All Year 7 and Year 9 (MFL2) students competed in ‘in class Spelling Bee heats’ in the lead up to Christmas or just after and winners in each group were invited to compete against the other schools. Bexley Grammar students did an amazing job competing in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Chinese - the standard of the competition was incredibly high, and they made themselves and the school proud!

Caitlin G and Rowan B both finished in second place (Italian and Japanese) with winner Yu Xuan winning the Mandarin spell off correctly spelling an incredible 26 words in 2 minutes!

Well done to all our amazing participants:

Year 7: Dilinna E, Saviru A, Areeb A, Freya F, Krista T, Ethan E, Aysu B.

Year 9: Vidhya B, Maya S, Tianming X, Cedric M, Sophie A, Millie W, Caitlin G, Rowan B, Rayon M, Yu Xuan O, Edwin S, Sophia L.

Mrs Savage, MFL Department

Mrs Savage, MFL Department

                     Kimran 8ERR                                                            Jessica 7SDA

Most impressively, two weeks ago, seventeen Year 9 students attended an interactive session tailored specifically for French speakers, led by a GCHQ language analyst. The students decoded messages in French and participated in a Q&A session regarding career opportunities at GCHQ.

We are currently gearing up for the GCHQ National Language Competition, which will take place from Monday, November 6th to Friday, November 10th, 2023. This virtual competition pits teams from schools across the UK against each other in solving language-based puzzles to earn points. There is still time to sign up - for more information, please email giglione_m@bexleygs.co.uk.

Ms Giglione, MFL Department

 I thoroughly enjoyed the experience as it showcased the diversity among the language analysts at GCHQ. It also presented the methods they employ when working with different scenarios. It helped many of us understand how important learning a language is when it comes to careers that will come after it and how this recruitment is needed for linguists.

Leo Demyan, 9STA

Languages are essential for communication, and they are extremely important to society as well as creating jobs that require a creativity AI can not achieve.

Diep Anh Nguyen, 10LPV

Having a languages degree can be very useful, helps you to meet new people and enhances communication skills. What I also found interesting was how they discussed online translators, and how the job of translating can not always be done by AI, because a lot of languages have phrases that mean different things to their direct and literal meaning. Thank you for giving me this opportunity; it was really interesting to see where my love for languages could take me!

Hana Ostrowski, 10DCC

Being able to learn new languages gives you the freedom to communicate and learn about other cultures. Acquiring new knowledge and looking at things from a different perspective. Knowing multiple languages can also make you more employable.

Elin Mecaj, 10LPV

The certificate describes me as a motivated, serious, versatile and dynamic student with good participation in interactive games.

Daniel Lambin,  Year 7

Bravo Daniel! Ms Orchard and the BGS language department are very proud of you!

My experience of Titschen in school was amazing! Even though I did not win, I enjoyed it very much as the tension rose throughout the competition.

Congratulations to Billy for winning the competition and I hope we will be able to take part in this tradition again next year.

Kristian Nachev, Year 7

On the morning of Friday the 22nd of April the most epic Annual Titschen Competition the world has ever seen took place. The hard-boiled eggs were dressed to impress many in the colours of the German flag and one particularly dashing egg had the Berlin Skyline in silhouette embossed across its midriff, another was in traditional Tracht: Lederhosen. It was a rollercoaster of emotions: there were highs and there were lows. From Zidan's heroic dash to Reception to collect his misplaced battle egg, which got him through 2 rounds of legendary titschen to an unfortunate explosion during play between Hailey (who had forgotten to hard-boil her egg) and a good humoured Jamie, which saw both Jamie and I being covered in raw egg and the moment the crowd went wild as Billy was crowned Titschen King leaving a defeated Jack in the dust as runner-up! 7JOO, you are true warriors, I am very proud of you all.

Miss Reed, MFL Department

University of Exeter ran an exciting photo competition in March and several BGS students took part with great enthusiasm. The contest focussed on showing languages other than English in their local areas - shop signs, bilingual street signs, film posters, advertisements and so on.  We submitted our top 3 entries before the Easter holidays, alongside over 100 schools across the country.

Huge congratulations to Nimrat Matharu (8REL), whose submission was selected as one of the top 25 by the judges and to Lev Griffin (8CPB), selected as a national runner-up for the competition and who won a £25 Amazon voucher as a prize!

Thank you to all our participants for the wonderful submissions, we look forward to taking part again next year.

Miss Giglione, MFL Department 

The photo shows signs jostling for attention on a cold day on Welling High Street, including one for a Chinese food supermarket with Chinese characters displayed on the shop sign, a language I am currently learning in school.

Lev Griffin, Year 8

Nepalise is not a language I speak, but it is commonly used within the area I live in. Many supermarkets, corner shops, etc. are owned by Nepalease people. People who work in these shops also speak Hindi, which allows them to communicate with other Asian people from places such as India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The picture above is a money transfer shop which allows others to send money to a specific place abroad. In addition, this shop includes jewellers and clothes shopping, but it only has these things for those who are natives of Nepal

Nimrat Matharu, Year 8

In the MFL Department, Italian teachers took this chance to teach KS3 and KS4 students about Dante’s Inferno, with a focus on Lucifer. Dante is one of the most influential Italian authors of all time and Inferno is part of the Italian school syllabus at KS3, KS4 and KS5. Students were asked to produce either a visual or a written response to Dante’s masterpiece and the result was a tremendous amount of imaginative entries (including a Dante-themed focaccia and a Lucifer-inspired cake!), which have now all been submitted to the university portal for the national competition. We have high hopes that some of these works will feature in an online anthology on the Oxford University website to be published soon.

Best of luck to all our participants (or as we say in Italian, in bocca al lupo!)

Miss Giglione, MFL Department

Click here to view the Dante 700 gallery.