Mandarin as part of an enrichment programme 
In 2009, four learners achieved their ABC Award in Speaking and Listening in Mandarin. These were some of the first students at secondary school in the Bournemouth area to achieve a qualification in Mandarin.

Introducing Mandarin
Students develop a great interest in and appreciation of Chinese language and culture and better understanding of school life in China through regular communication with their Chinese peers through email and video conferencing. As a result of the continuous growth and enthusiasm of Mandarin learning, the Year 6 students are going to the take part in the Mandarin Chinese Speaking Competition organised by the British Council and supported by the HSBC Global Education Programme.

Teacher shadowing
The Shadows Professional Development project enables teachers from across Europe to experience day to day life, teaching and learning at Avonbourne School and to gain an insight into the British educational system generally. The scheme is also open to Avonbourne teachers shadowing abroad in Europe.

Volunteering in Buenos Aires
In April 2009, Sixth Form pupils from Portsmouth Grammar School (PGS) embarked on a nine-day language and volunteering trip to Buenos Aires. All students shared the same passion for volunteering and for wanting to develop other skills by working in a social milieu very different from their own. They worked with Voluntario Global, a local charity operating at the heart of impoverished communities in the Argentinian capital. As well as putting their Spanish language skills into practice, the key feature of the trip was the opportunity for PGS pupils to meet children in their own neighbourhoods and understand the reality of their lives in a shanty town.

Developing an international ethos
An international approach colours every aspect of life at BCC. This is not limited to the MFL department and students experience diversity in all their subjects and across life in the school.

Using internationalism to motivate learners
Aims: to expand and enrich the school curriculum by offering a range of international links and to work with other local primary and secondary schools to promote and support the international dimension.

The AimHigher project
The project has highlighted the importance of languages at school and it has increased motivation. Several students have taken GCSE in Languages as a result of their participation in the project. Students have gained confidence and self-esteem and also had an experience of HE. Cultural perception and knowledge of the world have been widened through thought-provoking activities.

Promoting languages through internationalism
Objective: to enhance inclusion in this multi-cultural school and to promote languages and their importance outside of languages lessons.

Developing internationalism 
'I am convinced that linking subjects together internationally has multiple benefits to students: it provides a context for the exchange over and above the objective of simply improving language skills; it brings students of different nationalities together with a shared interest and common purpose, often providing a stronger basis for ongoing friendship than merely pairing them up for a regular exchange.' Rachel Hawkes, Director of Language College.