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#ThinkLanguages 2020 - One week to go!

It’s the final countdown to #ThinkLanguages 2020!

In a challenging year, we hope that this will be a great celebration for all 70 schools and nearly 5,000 students involved – so thank you for making it happen! We are sure you and your students are putting a lot of preparation in – so we hope it all goes well for you. We have been working hard to have lots of fun resources pre-prepared and delivered so you can have the best possible #ThinkLanguages this year. Here are the latest updates:

Opening Ceremony

We have a brilliant line-up for our opening ceremony this year – our MC Zainab Boladale will meet Des Bishop and chat about how he has built a career around learning languages and doing stand-up comedy in Chinese and Irish. Director General of Irish Aid, Ruairí de Burca will discuss all the benefits that languages have brought him in his career and how you can use your languages to help people both at home and abroad. Orlaith Tunney, Trinity College Careers Consultant will also give a summary about how many types of career benefit from having langauge skills. These will all follow an opening address from Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD. The Opening Ceremony will also be available for download for all registered schools on Friday 4th December. It can also be streamed on Monday morning during the event from the #ThinkLanguages Online Hub.

School Resource Packs

Our Resource Packs are on the way and should be arriving in all registered schools in the next day or two. Please note – these will arrive in a number of packages – so keep an eye out and make sure you’ve received all of them – in some cases they may arrive in separate deliveries.

Social Media Competitions

We would love see photos and videos of your preparation and of course on the day and get some conversation going on social media to build up the excitement across the country! Be sure to enter our social media competitions and follow Languages Connect on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter . Remember to tag us and use the #ThinkLanguages.

Pre-recorded Workshops

The pre-recorded workshops are all nearly ready to go – we have 14 different workshops in 11 languages! Registered schools can stream these on the day and they will be available to download from #Thinklanguages Online Hub next Friday 4th December if you wish to do so. The list of workshops is as follows:

Workshops for everyone

Interpreting with EC Interpreters: A great opportunity to meet European Commission Interpreters, both from Ireland and abroad.

Workshops for Beginners

Italian and Italian Cuisine: This is for complete beginners.

Polish language: This is a colourful workshop for complete beginners, and a great opportunity to try one of the new Leaving Certificate curricular languages.

Portuguese and Capoeira: This is for complete beginners of both Portuguese, one of the new Leaving Certificate curricular languages and capoeira.

Russian and Ballet: This is a beautiful workshop for complete beginners of both Russian and ballet.

Arabic and Belly Dancing: This is for complete beginners of both Arabic and belly dancing.

Chinese language: This is for complete beginners, and a great opportunity to try one of the new Leaving Certificate curricular languages.

Danish and Design: This might be of particular interest to students who are interested in Design and Communication Graphics.

Greek language: This is for complete beginners, and a great opportunity to learn some Greek.

Workshops for non-beginners

French and Natural Beekeeping: This is a CLIL workshop suitable for anyone who has done Junior Cycle French.

Spanish and Flamenco: This is a CLIL workshop suitable for anyone who has done Junior Cycle Spanish.

French and Fashion: This is a CLIL workshop suitable for anyone who has done Junior Cycle French.

German and Passive Housing: This is a CLIL workshop suitable for anyone who has done Junior Cycle German.

French and French Cuisine: This is a CLIL workshop suitable for anyone who has done Junior Cycle French.

 

If you have any queries in the coming days, please be sure to email support@ppli.ie