Larbert High School’s first submission for the SLEA reflected a thoughtful and well-constructed programme of employability projects running through all year groups.
Project 1 - Theme Park Challenge (19/12/23)
In this interdisciplinary project, the S1 Language Academy Class produced animations and maps which used the target language (Spanish or French) and English. They then gave bilingual presentations of their own roller coasters. This allowed them to develop their language skills in context, have a talk from an industry professional, use their digital skills and problem solving as they designed.
Project 2 - ARD Consultancy Client Event
This was a corporate hospitality event which S3 learners organised and carried out, planning the evening running order, food and entertainment by way of a Spanish quiz.
Activities - students researched, prepared and delivered a Learners were able to develop their soft skills and interact at a professional event. They were able to see how languages can be used at a professional level.
Project 3 - Travel Agent Partnership
This involved working with Stelar Travel, a local travel agency, to support a newly-created Languages for Life and Work and Travel and Tourism Class. It is planned to extend this into work experience opportunities.
Project 4 - DYW Career Focus Week
The Languages department developed starter slides and lesson inserts which could be used across the department, in various languages and with all year groups. These focussed on the areas of the media, law, sports, the military and design and manufacture. Every class in the department had a targeted lesson on the importance of languages in a chosen career field. They researched university courses, apprenticeships and looked at the many different careers available locally. Pupils produced infographics and posters.
Project 5 - Author Visit
This was arranged with the Goethe Institut for cluster primary 5, 6 and 7 pupils to attend on the day. Language Ambassadors prepared their own lessons for the primary schools to teach German history and selected German family words. S2 German pupils accompanied and helped the primary learners during the visit.
Thomas Harding spoke of the writing process, translations, the differences between the English and German book covers and also the publication. There was a pupil competition for the best diary entry - Language Ambassadors judged the entries and awarded prizes for the winners. This is going to feed into a Lingo Leader Programme, where senior pupils will deliver lessons in the cluster primary schools.
Project 6 - Around the World Rock and Pop Event
In partnership with the Music Department, a concert of music from around the world took place. S1 planned their multi-lingual introductions in advance, helping to select music and facts in partnership with their music peers. Language Academy Pupils from S1 hosted and compered the event, where they introduced acts and delivered facts about the countries where the music originated. They had multilingual scripts which they planned and wrote themselves.
This successfully raised the profile of languages and gave the pupils chances to use their soft skills to prepare the event.