Hundred of secondary school language students from all over the Island will come together for a conference at St Ninian’s High School and the Manx Museum lecture theatre this month.

The conference, which will allow French and Spanish students to immerse themselves in the languages, is the first of its kind to be staged locally.

More than 120 young people studying GCSE Spanish, 80 learning French to A-Level and 140 who will sit French GCSE, will attend on separate days between 23rd and 25th February to listen to native speakers from the two nations and to actively use the languages.  All five secondary schools and King William’s College will be represented.

Julie Desmarchelier, Assistant Head of Languages at St Ninian’s, has been preparing for the conference, which is self-funding, for a year.

She said, "As a French native, I know the best way to learn a language is to hear it and be immersed in it.  At some point, it is vital to put into practice what you have learned in theory.  This conference is as close to an immersion course as students will experience and will help them greatly towards their exams."

Julie said, "I have taken students from both my current school and Ramsey Grammar School, where I used to teach, to similar events in the UK and it has always been a memorable experience, with fantastic, positive feedback.

"However, the cost of travelling away, coupled with the realisation that it would be good to involve as many local students as possible, encouraged us to organise our own event.

"Last year we ran a much smaller event for A-level French students, with fantastic feedback.  I remember one student commenting that it was like being in France for the day.  However, this is the first conference to involve all six schools and to include GCSE students, and Spanish students, too."

Julie said that the conference content will vary greatly from GCSE to A-Level, but speakers will cover topics students will need to know for their exams.  French and Spanish culture are also high on the agenda.

The conference leaders are Marian Garcia, a native of Spain, and Frenchmen Regis Faugier and Richard Peltier.  All are former language teachers who now run educational events such as this one.

Julie continued, "Hopefully, students will feel more positive about learning languages and realise that it is not just about passing exams.  The event is intended to be a relaxed affair with complete immersion of students in Spanish or French.  I hope students’ motivation will be increased as they realise how much they can deal with.

"At a time when we are trying to create more resourceful students, I think it is vital that they learn to use their languages in creative ways.

"Who knows, we might have an increased demand for direct flights to France and Spain as our students decide to try out their new-found confidence in the languages in the two countries."

Paul Craine, Co-ordinating Adviser for 11-19 Education, who will attend part of the conference, said, "This promises to be a remarkable learning opportunity for the Island’s language students.  Our hope is that, even in just one or two days, their confidence will grow and they will show an improved ability to communicate on topics that relate to their examinations.

"Julie has done a remarkable job in pulling this event together and her efforts are hugely appreciated by the other language teachers."