Welcome to the Business Language Champions case
studies section. Here you can get a snapshot of some of the BLC
activity that has been taking place across the country. The
case studies have been arranged both by region and by job sector to allow you to choose how you
would prefer to view them. We hope that you find these case
studies of schools and businesses working together
to emphasise the value of language skills both insightful
and motivating.
Feature case study and video
Widnes Vikings and Wade Deacon
High School, North West
Business sector: Sport and Leisure
Number of employees: 85
Language(s) supported: French
Widnes Vikings RLFC is a professional rugby
league club, playing in the Co-Operative Championship (the second
tier of European Rugby League). Widnes Vikings recently launched
the Valhalla Foundation and have introduced several new projects
with schools in the North West region ranging from literacy and
numeracy to sport and French. Widness Vikings RLFC is
a 2009 BLC award
winner.
Summary of engagement
Toulouse’s inauguration game in the Super League,
played at Widnes inspired the original idea for the club to link up
with Wade Deacon High School to teach players some rugby themed
vocabulary in French. All Key Stage 3 and 4 French students were
involved in the project with some even being featured on Sky Sports
giving a French lesson.
View
Video »
Objectives of employer engagement:
- To demonstrate to students that learning a foreign language is
important and it can be used in a variety of ways outside the
classroom.
- To encourage boys to take a greater part in their French
lessons.
Engagement activities:
- Competition to find match announcers
All
KS3 (11-14 year-olds) French students participated to find
match announcers for the game. A tongue twister competition was
created by the school to improve speaking skills and confidence
when presenting in French. The winning presenters from each class
went through to an X-factor-style final in front of their teachers
and fellow students. The overall winners became the school’s
representatives for the game and commented in French on Sky Sports
about team news and points scored.
- Interview
KS4 (14-16) students had the
opportunity to converse in French with native French speaker and
Super League referee, Thierry Alibert, and ask him questions about
rugby, life in France and the benefits of speaking another
language. Students then relayed the key facts via the
school’s newspaper.
- French Language Lessons
Students produced
and presented a variety of mini-lessons to Widnes Vikings players
and Thierry Alibert in front of Sky Sport’s cameras. The vocabulary
ranged from basic conversational to rugby specific.
Impact on school and
students:
- Pupils’ confidence and presentation skills improved greatly as
they practiced key instructions and vocabulary in French.
- Boys’ motivation towards language learning greatly improved
after they were able to relate it to something meaningful to
them.
- Many students hit their end of year Minimum Expected Grades
thanks to the speaking skills developed during the project.
- KS3 students are keen to maintain their language skills in
preparation for next year’s games.
- Year 8 (12-13) pupils now participate more fully in French
lessons and confidence in the subject is outstanding.
- Following the project, over 90% of all participating students
stated in a questionnaire that they wished to take French at
KS4.
- The confidence gained from the conversation with the French
referee really spurred on the KS4 pupils and the
school received its highest ever percentage of A*-C grades in
the summer of 2009.
Impact on business:
- Media coverage of the partnership has generated significant
interest among other schools. Wade Deacon are now looking to ‘twin’
with a school in Toulouse and arrange exchange visits to coincide
with the fixtures between Toulouse and Widnes.
- The crowd at the Toulouse-Widnes game was over 5,000, the
second highest of the whole season, Over 10% of the crowd comprised
Wade Deacon students and their families.
Find out more: