York hosts immersive language day for GCSE students

News

Posted on Friday 13 February 2026

86 pupils from six schools visited the department for language workshops and a taste of university life.

The Department of Language and Linguistic Science recently welcomed 86 GCSE pupils and their teachers for a dedicated outreach event on 4 February 2026. Organised by the department’s Outreach Team, led by Dan Li and Géraldine Enjelvin, the day was designed to showcase the value of language studies and the university experience.

Students participated in interactive workshops for French, German and Spanish, run by Sandrine Devlin, Elisabeth Wallmann, Carmen Alvarez-Mayo and Maria Muradas-Taylor. The programme also expanded horizons with taster sessions in Arabic with Ahmed Khaleel, Chinese with Dan Li, and Japanese with Yumi Nixon.

Three student ambassadors shared their personal perspectives in "Why languages" sessions, while Professor Monika Schmid concluded the event with a talk on "6 myths about language learning".

Feedback from the event highlighted the importance of these interactions for students from rural settings.

"It is so important to fly the flag for languages," said one visiting teacher. "I think the whole event was an exciting one which really improves students' chances of further studying foreign languages."

Visiting pupils reported that the experience was "very educational," with many noting that the event encouraged them to consider higher education.