Former Cowbridge students come back and visit MFL

Katie Wynne and Ollie Hitchings visited MFL lessons today and told students about their experiences since leaving school in summer 2013. Katie is currently studying French and German at Cambridge in her first year. She told students about her career path in Cowbridge and her GCSE and A-level options.  Katie enjoyed both French and German in Cowbridge but had always thought that she would study medicine and so also studied A-levels in Biology, Chemistry and Maths.  Only early in Year 13 did she realise that languages were her true love and so she completely changed her university application to study languages. Katie told everyone that you never really know what you might end up doing in 5 years time so you should keep your options open!

8Y2 listening to Katie talking about career prospects with languages.

Here is Katie convincing 8Y2 about why language learning is so valuable!

Ollie had a different story to tell. He is currently playing rugby in Biarritz and learning and speaking French on a daily basis but he did not study languages for GCSE or A-level and gave them up at the end of Year 9. He told our students how he has regretted that decision.  He said: "You never know what you are going to do in the future and I really wish I had chosen a language at GCSE as it would have made life in Biarritz a lot easier. If you learn a language in school it is easier to pick the same language or a different language up in the future." 

Ollie showed us a short film of all the people who he is currently working with and the languages they speak which include: Basque, Norwegian, Afrikaans, Italian, French, and Welsh! 

Many thanks, Vielen Dank, Merci beaucoup Ollie and Katie for giving up time in your Christmas holidays to come and see us and share your experiences and stories with our Year 12s, 10s, 8s and 11s.