Three young linguists have put their school on the map after impressing judges with confident foreign language performances against stiff regional competition.
Pupils from Bideford College, part of Athena Learning Trust, secured top honours at the Modern Foreign Languages Annual Competition held in Pilton this month, competing against dozens of students from across the South West.
The event brought together 12 schools from Devon and Cornwall, with 66 competitors taking part across six categories. Bideford College entered two of the larger categories and achieved notable success.
Benji Wyke was named first runner-up in the Key Stage 3 non-native category after delivering a presentation about his family in Spanish.
(Credit : Submitted)
Zachary Clitherow received a special commendation for presenting in Spanish as a self-taught language, despite studying French at school.
Amélie Powell competed in the near-native French category, opening proceedings with a presentation that included references to Bideford’s history, such as the tobacco trade, local landmarks, charity shops and the last witches’ trial.
The team also won the “Name the Country Emoji” quiz, taking home a box of chocolates.
Dr Claire Ankers, principal at Bideford College and Atlantic Academy, said: “Languages open doors to new cultures, ideas, and ways of thinking.
“Seeing our students embrace Spanish and French with such confidence reminds me just how empowering learning another language can be.
“I am so proud of their achievements and the way they represent the joy of discovery in every word they speak.”
The annual competition aims to promote language learning across the region, encouraging creativity, confidence and cultural understanding among young people.
