Year 11 Language Captains 2023

By Michele Sharp, Head of Languages and the Language Captains

Each year, Radford appoints students to leadership roles, and in the case of the languages department, we select Language Captains to promote and assist with language learning.

Student leaders are expected to live with integrity, embody the values of the College, be wholly themselves and flourish while engaged in the service of community. They are expected to be a model for others to emulate and do this by their everyday presence and demeanour, while also fulfilling responsibilities in a meaningful portfolio of work.

The captains are mentored by staff to promote language experiences across the Secondary School, and we wish them well with their endeavours this year.

Please read below an introductory message from each captain about the importance of language learning.

Chinese Captain - Deyzang Ugyel

Growing up in multiple countries and living in a multilingual home, I have always been exposed to and interested in languages. Since my first Chinese lesson in Year 9 at Radford, I have absorbed far more than just phrases and written characters. I have developed a deep appreciation for a culture that was once foreign to me, and I have to say that Chinese culture is diverse and rich in traditions and history.

From my perspective, one of the greatest advantages of learning languages is that it provides a far deeper and more nuanced understanding of a particular country, its people, traditions, and values. Having this understanding acts as a bridge and a door to developing the skills of emotional and cultural intelligence that are integral in this modern era. As I see it, culture is essential to learning, and language is an essential component of culture.

In my role as Chinese Captain, I would like to share my wonderful experience of learning and encourage others to gain a deeper insight and knowledge of a language.

French Captain – Bella Schofield

I first 'studied French' when I was four. My best friend who was French was complaining to her mum about the lychee we were eating, and I said something about liking them back to her (in English). I am told that a four-year-old understanding and translating a different language was pretty freaky for the mum!

Unfortunately, that understanding of French was short-lived, and I really started studying French when I was eight years old while living in Seoul. This was mostly due to me being jealous of my friends back in Australia who were learning it at school and eight-year-old me only knowing how to say j'aime le violet (I love purple). But I quickly fell in love with the language.

Since moving back to Australia, I have been studying French. But that is not to say that I find learning French easy. Learning a new language is really hard, especially when you don't live in the country and are not surrounded by the culture or language, or have a really hard math assessment that has to be done at the same time!

But throughout studying French, I have learned how to study effectively. This means doing some French homework every day, even if it's just five minutes of Duolingo. I would encourage everyone to learn a language at Radford, because there are so many benefits for your brain and knowing a second language can have many advantages for you in the future, including possibly scaring your best friend's mum!

Japanese Captain - Maddy Leece

Language as a form of communication facilitates interactions between people all over the world and breeds connection, cooperation and collaboration on a global scale. I wanted to pursue a language for the connections I could gain in the future, and for the unique paths I could take with that skillset. However, I have found learning Japanese to be so much more than that. Learning my language has challenged me, opened new doors and created a sense of appreciation in Japan and Japanese culture.

This connection to culture has further given me an insight into the lives of many millions of other people around the world, which is vital in a grounded global citizen. Being able to apply what I have learnt about myself and my style of learning in a language classroom, to how I work outside of that setting, has also been helpful in the development of my other subjects. We are extremely lucky to be able to study a variety of languages, and I greatly encourage all Radford learners to participate in language learning as a part of their broader Secondary School journey.

Spanish Captain - Pippa Humphries

In an increasingly interconnected world, the variety and beauty that language can offer is as significant - if not more so - than the communication that it is able to facilitate. What language provides is a truly unique window into the contradistinctive lives of people around the globe. In learning a language and having the opportunity to broaden my horizons, I've gained more than new neural pathways or the ability to enjoy Spanish media and literature; I've discovered a genuine love for and appreciation of both my new language and the language I'm exposed to every day.

By taking a language at Radford and then deepening my understanding of it while on the Round Square exchange in the U.S., I was able to form connections that extended far beyond the mere words. Language has the power to offer something truly unique, and my life has been enriched by that which it has given me.