Everyone can benefit from knowing another language. Whether it’s for professional, personal or academic purposes, language learning enhances lives. That’s why Wath Comprehensive School is so passionate about promoting life-long language learning, and has embarked upon a plan to get as much of the wider community involved as possible.

Just talk! is all about students and parents working together and learning to help one another with their language development. As well as raising awareness and enhancing people’s confidence when speaking new languages, the programme is doing wonders in improving life skills amongst local adults and building closer links between parents and the school.

All sixth-formers at the school are required to learn a language as part of their studies, regardless of their main specialisation – and there’s been a high level of voluntary take-up amongst locals. What’s special about the project, though, is that it offers such a flexible approach to language learning, with a wide range of languages being learned to different levels for different purposes. It’s also great for building ICT skills.

The Just talk! model has demonstrated the impact that language learning can have on key communication skills across the community and Wath is already in discussion with several other schools about how to introduce a similar model. Just talk! receives the French Embassy Language Prize this year.

Language(s): French, German, Spanish, Russian, Italian, Portuguese

Wath Comprehensive School is a large school of 1,824 students and a Specialist Language College since 2003. It is a three-times holder of the British Council International School Award, Business Language Champion and holder of the Quality in Study Support kitemark. The school recently gained Full Service Extended School status.