Welcome to the Modern Languages Department

It goes without saying that learning another language in this modern world is fast becoming an essential skill.  This is not just because of increased travel, but it is also more than likely that during your working life, you will deal with colleagues and others from abroad yourself.  Developing your language skills also helps you to gain confidence in communicating with others and become more aware of other cultures.  It also shows some serious and sought after personal qualities such as openness of mind, risk taking, perseverance, listening skills, good memory, social skills along with many others.

In every environment, speaking languages gives you access to a whole new world ; music, the internet, cultural history, films, new places and people you would otherwise never have met.  This applies in the workplace as much as anywhere else.  According to recruitment agencies, your salary, if you use languages at work can be increased by anything from 8% to 20%, depending upon how important languages are to the role.  There is room for all levels and abilities, and opportunities from the switchboard to the board room!

Here at Polesworth International Language College, we want you to have that opportunity.  We believe that developing these skills is part of the all rounded education that we provide for the world we live in.  During your time at Polesworth, you will get the chance to travel and experience the use of your language in the target country.  There is a study trip to France and Germany at the end of Year 9, an opportunity to stay with a family in Belgium or Germany during your GCSE year and work experience in Belgium or Germany in the Sixth Form.

Did You Know?

94% of the world's population does not speak English as their mother tongue.
75% of the world's population does not speak English at all.
72% of UK international trade is with non-English speaking countries

French is spoken by more than 77 million people as a mother tongue, and by over 128 million including second language speakers.  It is an official administrative language in various communities and organisations (such as the European Union, the IOC and the United Nations)  French is also an official language in many parts of Africa, as well as Canada, Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg.

German is the language with the most native speakers in the European Union.  It is primarily spoken in Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, the major part of Switzerland, Luxembourg, the East Cantons of Belgium, parts of Romania, Alsace and Lorraine in France.  Additionally, several former colonial possessions of these countries such as Namibia, have sizeable German speaking populations, and there are German-speaking minorities in several eastern European countries including Russia, Hungary and Slovenia.

Be a citizen of the world and open your mind to other languages and cultures!