An initiative by UCC launched last November aimed at second level
language students culminated on Friday last (31 March 2006) when pupils
from schools across Munster gathered at UCC for a prizegiving
ceremony. The second level languages competition titled
Passionate About Languages, organised by UCC’s German Department in
close collaboration with the Departments of French, Italian and
Hispanic Studies, offered students one of two routes to express their
views on learning a foreign language(s). Students had the option
of making a visual representation of their favourite word from one of
the four languages and explain why they chose it, or write a letter to
the Minister for Education & Science, Mary Hanafin outlining the
value of languages in the school curriculum.
Just under 30 entries were received from schools all across Munster.
First Prize, with a voucher of €200 was awarded to the High School,
Clonmel, Co.Tipperary for a multimedia project comprising a German
language magazine with news items, articles, cartoons and poetry. The
entrants also wrote and performed a song entitled Liebe (Love) which
they produced on DVD. Prizes were also awarded to Coláiste Choilm,
Ballincollig, Co.Cork for art projects involving collage and painting.
St.Mary’s, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary received also a prize for their
colourful representation of the World Cup in Germany. Another
runner-up, Claire Creedon of Christ the King Girls Secondary School,
Douglas, Cork received a prize for writing a compelling letter to the
Minister outlining her feelings on how languages are taught at second
level and the restrictions felt by students, at times, in their choice
of languages to Leaving Cert level. On this letter, and the ongoing
plans by the Department of Education towards their languages policy in
Ireland, Mr Paul Caffery, a senior inspector for the Department of
Education, who was a special guest at the ceremony, spoke.
The President of UCC, Professor Gerard Wrixon officiating at the
prizegiving, commended the students on their visible enthusiasm and
lustre for learning a foreign language and noted that the study and
research of languages has always played an important role in UCC since
the enrolling of the first UCC students in 1849. This was the first
year of the competition was run and was extremely well received by
teachers and students alike. There was indeed a visible passion about
languages evident among all those involved.
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