Celebrating languages and cultures at Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury celebrated European Day of Languages with language-inspired games in the Library, a delicious European inspired lunch, to the annual MFL Speaking Competition.

This year’s European Day of Languages theme, “Languages unite”, provided a fitting focus for celebrations to highlight the enjoyment of learning languages and the role they play in building understanding between people, countries and cultures.

The celebrations continued during the Modern Foreign Languages Department’s annual MFL Speaking Competition on Tuesday 29 September, which attracted its highest number of entries since the event began.

More than 50 pupils from across the year groups gathered in Quod to perform and listen to poetry in French, German and Spanish. Pupils demonstrated impressive confidence in reciting works in another language in front of a large audience, with performances ranging across a wide variety of poets and styles.

Richard Yardley, Head of German, said the celebrations reflected the continued strength of language learning at Shrewsbury:

“MFL continues to thrive as a subject here at Shrewsbury School.

“It is most encouraging to see our numbers of dual linguists remain high at GCSE and at A Level too. Language qualifications offer so much more than simply the ability to communicate in a foreign tongue. Our dedicated MFL staff continue to offer engaging cultural lessons so that Salopians leave the School with a greater understanding of the culture, history and customs of different countries.

“Additionally, Salopians have the opportunity to study languages through Monday Societies, Sixth Form AP classes and external language qualifications. As a school with a host of international pupils, learning another language has never seemed more important.

“European Day of Languages 2026 has focused on the theme of ‘Languages unite’, and we can proudly say that Shrewsbury School embraces languages and cultures from across our School community.”

The standard of this year’s Speaking Competition was exceptionally high, giving judges Seb Cooley, Lucy Beynon and Christophe Goarant the difficult task of selecting the winners.

Competition results

Junior Competition
Winner: Arthur S – Le hibou by Maurice Carême
Runners-up: Mia W – Le chat et le soleil by Maurice Carême; Guy Charlesworth-Jones – Proverbios y cantares XXIX by Antonio Machado

French Middle School
Winner: Emily B – Elle était belle by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Runner-up: Hannah R – Voici que la saison décline by Victor Hugo

French Sixth Form
Winner: Daphne W – L’Abeille by Paul Valéry
Runner-up: Annabel F – La chanson d’automne by Paul Verlaine

German Middle School
Winner: William N – Frühlingsglaube by Ludwig Uhland
Runner-up: Frances B M – Herbst by Rainer Maria Rilke

German Sixth Form
Winner: Lulu G – Die Lorelei by Heinrich Heine
Runner-up: Violet H – Faust (Vor dem Tor) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Spanish Middle School
Winner: Leo T – Bien tomados de la mano by Douglas Wright
Runner-up: Kate R – Todo empieza con el amor by Roberto Juarroz

Spanish Sixth Form
Winner: Chiara C – Dame la mano by Gabriela Mistral
Runner-up: Aashia D – Viento, agua, piedra by Octavio Paz

Native Speakers
Winner: Helena T – Erlkönig by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Runner-up: Marcos Gregorio R – Tres heridas by Miguel Hernández

Congratulations to everyone who took part and helped make this year’s celebrations such a success.

Many thanks to Adam Morris for being such a great host of the event and to the catering staff for providing some delicious European-themed snacks throughout the evening.