EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES 2022 and GYMKHANA

We started the course celebrating the European Day of Languages 2022 in the different classes of languages, French, Spanish and English. We created a presentation to make the purpose of this activity clear and what would be worked in each course. 

As an example of what our students did, here in this link you can access a folder with 5 examples of the students work in five different groups.

Coinciding with this year's celebration of the European Day of Languages, we were receiving exchange students from Slovakia, Germany and the Netherlands. In collaboration with the EPAS and the Departamento de Programas Internacionales, it was organised a gymkhana. The teachers of the ANLs (Áreas No Lingüísticas del programa bilingüe) participated in the elaboration of the challenges that all the students involved in the different exchanges had to complete. It was hard work to organise but everything was basically as we expected.

These are the challenges or PRUEBAS that they enjoyed completing in this EUROPEAN DAY OF

LANGUAGES 2022

1. IDIOMS

Match the idioms in the different languages with its equivalent in English. Then pick at least three and say it together.

2. TONGUE TWISTERS

All the members of the team, altogether, say at least four tongue twisters  in different European languages (English, Slovakian, Dutch, German, Spanish)  or as many as they can in 5 min. 

3. EUROPEAN WRITERS, LITERARY WORKS AND COUNTRIES. 

Guess what country each writer belongs to and match them to their photo.

4. THE MOST SPOKEN LANGUAGES IN EUROPE

Order the languages taking into account the number of speakers that each one has in Europe. Then match the name of the language in English with the name of the language in that language.

5. UE MEMBERS

Put the Members of the UE under the year they joined The Union and match them with their flag. 

Watch out: There are six  fake countries and flags

6. EUROVISION. 

Pick a number. You have 5 minutes to watch and listen to the song linked to the number you have  picked. Then sing the chorus altogether and reproduce the dance in the video. 

7. IMAGINE 

Write the lines of the chorus in the popular song Imagine, by John Lennon, in four different European languages and sing it altogether!

8. COOL!

1-Who do young people say in Slovakia, Spain, The Netherlands or Germany to describe something or a situation that is cool?  

2-Pick at least four expressions in different languages and make everyone in your team learn and say them! 

3-Then invent a hand sign to say this popular expression with no sound and take a selfie of the whole team!

9. POINT OR COMMA FOR DECIMALS

Classify the countries you are given according to the use of point or comma with decimals.

10. AIMING 

Score an amount of points by throwing the ball into the different bowls. 

11. ENDANGERED EUROPEAN SPECIES

Link the picture of each animal with its common name and its scientific name.

12. ROMANCE, SLAVIC OR GERMANIC LANGUAGES

Decide if the languages given are within the family of Romance, Slavic or Germanic languages

EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES 2021

EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES.

Last  26th of September was the European Day of Languages, promoted by the European Union. Inside the Languages Departmaent in our school we decided to do some activities to celebrate it. Obviously, it was not easy to do everything that day so we decided to have a whole week to put into practise in all our ESO groups two different activities.

 

In 1º and 2º ESO we encouraged our students to be aware of the different languages that there are in Europe and we created presentations of the same word in the different languages. In 3º and 4º ESO we asked our students to be creative and to invent a word to express an idea that wasn't expressed with an existing word. It should be accompanied by an illustrative image. In general, they were surprised by the results and they have fun.

 As an example of an invented word I myself created a word from an illustration of an Italian artist, Andrea Serio, to whom I asked permission to use via Instagram. Very politely, he gave permission and praised the initiative.

 

 This EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES PRESENTATION shows very clearly what the activity was,  what we wanted our students to do and the results.

MY NAME IS MARY SMITH NOTENGO

 On 25th March, 2018, I read an article on El Pais about the problems that foreigners have in Spain because here we use two surnames. I thought that this was the kind of interesting cultural facts that bilingualism should deal with. I considered it quite appropriate to write about in our school’s bilingual section. 

 We all have heard about culture shock, that feeling of alienation that people may have when encountering a different environment and culture. Among other determining factors, this is connected with the different languages and customs. There are many unexpected daily situations that can make it appear and one of the most curious ones is as simple as the use of two surnames in Spain. 

 We tend to assume that the way we Spaniards address each other is universal, but did you know that most countries use just one surname? Did you know that after getting married women can choose the surname that they want to use by choosing their husband’s one or their own one? Did you know that even siblings can have different surnames in many countries? 

 When foreigners come to Spain they may find Kafkaesque situations just because of their lack of a second surname. When they have to fill in a form, specially online, if they don’t provide all the information required and fill in all the boxes and gaps, they are not allowed to continue or they are shown an error message.

I admit that when reading about this issue I smiled due to the ways people solve this problem and websites, officials and other workers allow it to happen. Let's have a look at some examples. Some people use their second name as their first surname. So someone whose name is Daniel John Welsch has John as his first surname, or Mary Elizabeth Cooperman, that has Elizabeth. Others prefer using their only surname but when filling in forms they write No Tengo or Ninguno in the box for their second surname. However, the system does not assume that they have no second surname. Instead of that, it assumes that their second surname is Notengo or Ninguno, and that is what has happened to many foreigners in Spain who have ended up assuming that weird surname. There are real names such as Simone Fóccoli Notengo (Italian) or Chiho Notengo Murata (Japanese), names that even sound like one of those bad jokes about languages. 

 But how long have we Spaniards been using two surnames in Spain? It is known that until the 19th century there was just one surname and the father’s one was kept by the eldest child and the rest could choose among the other family surnames without a established criteria. It was not until 1871 that the addition of the mother’s surname as the second surname was established. 

 Today’s situation is that since 30th June, 2017 Spanish parents can choose the order of their children’s surnames by reaching an agreement. However, when people are 18 years old, they can freely register the surname order which they want to have in the civil registry. 

 To end with this topic, just let me propose thinking about your own surnames. Do you like them? Have you ever consider changing their order or making any other possible change such as hyphenating your two first surnames so as to keep your mother’s surname? 

 Now that we are much more concerned about equality between men and women it is time to think of those cultural and social aspects that are still based on men’s predominance as a norm inherited from the past and we must remark how men and women must relate in equal terms.

ITHACA, ODYSSEY AND KAVAFIS, OR WHY OUR SCHOOL IS CALLED IES ÍTACA.

 

     Have you noticed the image that illustrates the upper part of this blog? Do you know the author or what represents? Do you find any connection between our school IES Ítaca and that painting? Obviously, it is not unintended.

   

  The painting is Ulysses and the Sirens by John William Waterhouse, who was an amazing painter included in the so-called Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. This was an artistic movement that was developed in Great Britain in the nineteenth century. 

Here Waterhouse depicts Ulysses tied to the mast of his ship listening to the sirens' chant. It is inspired by Homer's Odysssey, the epic poem written in the eighth century B.C. that narrates Ulysses' voyage back home from Troy to Ithaca.

That poem was also the source of inspiration for a poem entitled ITHACA, written by a Greek poet called Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis in 1911. The basic idea of this poem is that if you have to set out for a long travel you must be aware that the time you spend travelling must be enjoyed. It is a metaphor that can be applied to the process of learning and the time the students spend in the school. That is one of the leitmotifs and inspiring principles of our school.

The whole poem is as follows:

When you leave for Ithaca,
may your journey be long
and full of adventures and knowledge.

Do not be afraid of Laestrigones, Cyclopes
or furious Poseidon;
you won’t come across them on your way
if you don’t carry them in your soul,
if your soul does not put them in front of your steps.

I hope your road is long.
May there be many a summer morning,
and may ports for the first time seen
bring you great joy.

May you stop at Phoenician marts,
to purchase there the best of wares,
mother-of-pearl and coral, amber, ebony,
hedonic perfumes of all sorts;
may you go to various Egyptian towns
and learn from a people with so much to teach.

Don’t lose sight of Ithaca,
for that’s your destination.
But take your time;
better that the journey lasts many a year
and that your boat only drops anchor on the island
when you have grown rich
with what you learned on the way.

Don’t expect Ithaca to give you many riches.
Ithaca has already given you a fine voyage;
without Ithaca you would never have parted.
Ithaca gave you everything and can give you no more.

If in the end you think that Ithaca is poor,
don’t think that she has cheated you.
Because you have grown wise and lived an intense life,
and that’s the meaning of Ithaca.

LANGUAGE ASSISTANTS OR AUXILIARES DE CONVERSACIÓN

 LANGUAGE ASSISTANTS OR AUXILIARES DE CONVERSACIÓN

Every year we are assigned one or two language assistants or auxiliares de conversación that come to our schools to provide a Native speaker model of the English pronunciation. They are only assigned 12 hours of classes with our teachers of the bilingual program but their presence is quite obvious and we hope that their contribution help our students improve their oral skills. 

Our working atmosphere is great and we always hope that they feel comfortable and integrated in our teaching staff and in our school by extension.

This year we have been asked to fill in this Information Sheet for Language Assistant which is aimed at providing a basic information of our school and the town so that they can think better what school they will work in and the town where it is. Obviously beyond the information included there I encourage them to contact the school to ask for any information they might need to have. 

We all desire that they feel comfortable with us and they have some positive influence or impact in our school and students.

THIS IS ME BY ZACH

 Hi, my name is Zach. I am 24 years old. I'm originally from Sacramento, California in the United States. I have been living and working in Spain for the program Auxiliares de Conversación for a year and a half. I enjoy traveling and learning languages. Working as an English assistant in Spain has been a fantastic opportunity for me to grow and learn about the world beyond the United States.

In my free time, I like to try new activities with friends or strangers. I enjoy eating good food, sightseeing, or playing any kind of outdoor sports. Although I received my undergraduate degree in Sociology, I have become more interested in education and teaching since I moved to Spain. I believe teachers can have a big impact when they care and are passionate about their work. 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS FROM ZACH

 First Impressions of IES Itaca. How I feel about my time here after 4 months 

My first impression of IES Itaca was that everyone was very welcoming, kind, and full of energy. I was impressed by Itaca in many ways. I was impressed with how they integrated technology into the curriculum. I imagine this transition from textbooks to ebooks and e-learning has been difficult for other schools, especially if they were influenced to make a change due to the pandemic. But IES Itaca seems well integrated already and the students already have a comfortability with the system. The students and the teachers communicate and exchange homework via google classroom and the students already understand how to find and use resources online to complete tasks and find information. I believe this curriculum will greatly benefit the students as education moves more digital in the coming years.

The students are generally very nice and respectful to me. The teachers in the English program have a very high level, which is not something I experienced at my last school. The teachers and I have a great relationship at school and I always feel like my input is respected and valued. One downside to the school, in general, is its lack of adequate facilities. There are not enough classes for the number of students and for a school that relies primarily on wifi and technology to function, often the wifi is down and the computers and projectors are not working. All in all, I am very happy with my experience at IES Itaca this year.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS FROM KIERAN

 

It's been a month since I started working as an auxiliar at IES Itaca. My initial impressions of the school have been generally positive — all teachers and have been welcoming and have made it a point to introduce themselves to me. 

I currently assist the English, History & Geography, and Physical Education classes. I have the freedom to design some aspects of the curriculum and implement my own ideas. The teachers make sure I interact well with the students, as they realize the importance of the kids listening and learning from a native speaker. The bilingual coordinator has also been very helpful with all the administrative work. 

The students — especially 1º eso and 2º eso — were quite excited by the new auxiliar and always try to have a conversation with me. I particularly enjoy the English classes, as I have the most freedom to decide what the students do and can implement a variety of activities.

ENGLISH AND THE DAY OF ANDALUSIA

 In English Language, we reflected upon the influence that the English language has historically had on the Andalusian areas where there has been some contact and settlements of British people for whatever reason.

The areas where those contacts took place were Cadiz and Malaga ports with British sailors, miners in the area of Rio Tinto mining towns and, of course, La Linea and surroundings with the Gibraltar people. As a consequence of thoses contacts, there are many peculiar words that Andalusians have created in their own particular style after adopting English words. That is the way we tried to make our students aware of the fact that languages are alive and constantly changing as if they were living beings.

Here are the links to some of those presentations and some posters that they were asked to create.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND THE DAY OF THE ANDALUSIAN COMMUNITY

In order to celebrate the day of Andalusia, we suggested investigating the presence of the British culture in the Andalusian autonomous community, in Physical Education it was considered interesting to introduce the students to the Gaelic Football. We know that our students are familiar with football, that is soccer, but there are some other interesting variants of this popular ball sport. That is the reason why Marina chose to present and study these little known ball sport. However, there is a league of Gaelic Football in Spain and one of them plays in Seville, mainly practised by Irish people living in Spain.

The students learn about the basics of the sport, its techniques, history, injuries, ... 

Here are some of the presentations and videos our students created.

In this link, there are seven presentations about all the different aspects of this sport.

PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY AND THE DAY OF ANDALUSIA

 Within the general topic suggested in the bilingual subjects to work the day of the Andalusian Community, in 3º ESO Pilar Villar taught about the exploitation of the Rio Tinto area in Huelva in the hands of British companies in the 19th century. They investigated the most important minerals and their compositions, the methods used to extract those minerals and the contribution they made to the area, With them, they brought some of the advances that were developed in England with the industrial revolution and other interesting issues, including the football.

Some of the students created posters drawing and writing while others chose some online apps to create their projects. Here there is a selection of some of them chosen taking into account the language used (some were in Spanish or contained obvious mistakes) and the general presentation.

PHILOSOPHY AND THE DAY OF ANDALUSIA

PHILOSOPHY AND THE DAY OF ANDALUSIA

In order to celebrate the day of Andalusia, we suggested investigating the presence of the British culture in the Andalusian autonomous community. In that context, Clara Rios, our teacher of bilingual Philosophy in the three groups of 1º bachillerato, asked her students to investigate the main philosophers that were born in our community, including the Arabic period. Here there are some of the selected ones that we have considered representative of the students' work. Hopefully you will find them interesting. From here we want to thank our students for their effort.

The Presence of the English Culture in Andalusia

 

 

In order to celebrate the day of Andalusia, we suggested investigating the presence of the British culture in the Andalusian autonomous community. As we belong to the bilingual program, with this activity our main purpose was to make our students aware of the fact that the different cultures have historically been influencing each other, and the British one and the Andalusian one are no exception.

 In Physics and Chemistry they dealt with the exploitation of Riotinto mines and the minerals extracted, which were developed by British Mining Companies. They studied the main minerals extracted, their composition, the methods used to extract them and the influence of the British People in the area.

 

In Physical Education the students were introduced the Gaelic Football, which is a national sport in Ireland and Scotland and which is played in Seville. All our students know about football, soccer, and its British origin so we thought that it could be interesting to work with a different sport from the British scope.

 

In English Language we studied the influence that the English language has historically had on the areas where there has been contact between British and Spanish people. Basically they found out that there are many words in Malaga (sailors), Cadiz (wineries and sailors), Huelva (mines), ... used by Spanish people derived from English words such as manguara, aliquindoi o guachisnai.

  

 In Music they learnt about Andalusian musicians known internationally, their main works and some biographical details. They learnt also about the most important contribution of the Andalusian artists to the global music.

 In Philosophy students searched for Andalusian philosophers in their bilingual classes which have made relevant philosophical contributions to the world: Séneca, Avicebrón (Ibn Gabirol), Averroes, Maimónides, María Zambrano, creating a series of posters with their most relevant information.

 In History the students work with texts dealing with the historical links that there has been between Castilian and English aristocracy and monarchs through marriages and alliances. They also learnt about the American writer Washington Irving and the vision he presented of the Andalusia in the early 19th century in his Tales of the Alhambra.