DULWICH LINGUISTIC
FOR THE LOVE OF LANGUAGE
Luke Jensen-Jones (Year 9) reports on the cornucopia of events that formed this year’s week of free learning, Dulwich Linguistic. Below, Dan Davies (Year 8) and Matt Muldoon (Year 8) share their impressions of the week
D ulwich Linguistic week could not have come at a better time. 2016 had already seen the UK’s big decision to leave the European Union, Donald Trump was about to be elected in the United States and far-right movements across Europe were growing. With attitudes towards foreigners shifting around the world and a rapid rise in both isolationism and nationalistic tendencies, seven days of events showcasing other countries seemed like a much-needed antidote. The week started on 7th November, just a day before Trump’s victory. It gave students across the College, from Junior to Upper School, a chance to become immersed in different cultures from across the world and to develop a taste for many foreign languages along the way. The week was packed with activities ranging from lectures to sport to foreign cuisine and even a treasure hunt around the whole of the College. I was lucky enough to be involved in the recital of Vivaldi’s Spring concerto by the Chamber Orchestra that began the week, which included
short video about their favourite word in a foreign language. The language treasure hunt was another highlight, with daily videos in foreign languages offering hints as to the whereabouts of the many clues hidden all around the College. All of these events were not simply for our enjoyment, however: the week served many different purposes. It was, first of all, a chance to diversify from the normal curriculum and show that there is more to language than learning vocab and memorising verb endings. More importantly, in our increasingly polarized society, where anyone with an unusual set of beliefs or an alternative view of the world can be frowned upon and ridiculed, it is extremely important to experience how other people across the world live their lives and to be able to not only communicate with them, but empathise with them as well – and Dulwich Linguistic helped us to achieve that in ways that were both stimulating and enjoyable. LJJ
a reading in both Italian and English of Vivaldi’s original sonnet on which he based the work. The rest of the day involved the ‘Tour de Dulwich,’ a cycling competition, a sampling of the latest French TV series and a seminar in the auditorium on linguistics. A highlight from Day Two was a fascinating insight into the world of sports journalism with BBC broadcaster Chris Dennis. The talk centred around the use of language in journalism and the huge benefits of being able to communicate with people from all over the world. There was even an opportunity to test our own broadcasting skills at the end of the talk, which was enjoyed by all who attended. The rest of the week included a fencing masterclass taught in Italian, a session on creating codes, a demonstration of Kung Fu and a chance to sample cuisine from China, Spain, Germany and France. There were also activities that got us thinking about our relationship with language, such as the daily video booth where students could go and record a
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