'Languages directly benefit our economy and have a profound benefit both culturally and to the quality of life. English is one of the great global languages of the 21^st century, but it will only take us so far.

• Only 6% of the world’s population speak English as a first language
• 75% of the world’s population don’t speak any English

We live in a multilingual, multicultural world. Our engagement with the non-English speaking world will remain superficial and one-sided unless we develop our capacity in other languages too'. (CILT)

Here are some stories from members of Treviglas Community College on when even just a little language has helped them!

Mrs K Ross (Head Teacher)

“My Dad is Welsh so when I was little I learnt the Brownies Promise in Welsh. I can still remember it today and say it on certain occasions to impress at the right moment.”

Mrs Whelan (MFL)

"Since the age of 13 when I went to France on my first school trip I have wanted to meet people whose culture is different to mine. Travelling abroad has been part of my life; at school I went on the trip to France every year, at university I spent my third year abroad and these days I try to go as often as I can.  That year abroad during university has to be one of the best times of my life - after my marriage and my children of course!"

Miss M Leverton (P.E)

“During the school ski trip to Austria, a member of staff broke their leg so I had to spend an extra week on my own in resort looking after him. The bit of German I knew really helped with getting to the hospital”.

Mrs C Teakle (Higher Level Teaching Assistant)

“A few years ago I got a flat tyre in Spain, if I hadn’t had a bit of Spanish it would have taken a lot longer to get rescued!”

Mrs M Tooley (Administration and Work Experience)

“I used to manage a holiday riding centre in France which looked after the Gendarmes’ children, so we used to spend half the time speaking French and the other half speaking English or Franglais!”

Mrs D Good (Librarian)

“I often go on holiday to Alicante and it’s great being able to order in restaurants in Spanish”

Mr S Wells (P.E)

“During a ski holiday I broke my leg and had to get a helicopter off the mountain, unfortunately the Doctor only spoke German, fortunately I remembered enough German from school to communicate”

Mr B Smith (Resources and Adminstration)

“Travelling round China where very few people spoke English it was crucial to know a few simple phrases. Courtesy goes a long way in a foreign country”

Mr M Brooks (P.E)

“On a school trip I was able to use my rusty German to order a surprise birthday cake for one of the students.”

Mr M Leech (Cross-Curricular and Thinking Skills)

“I went to South Africa with work and we had to use Isixhosa in the classroom to speak to the students”

Miss C Daniel (Science)

“Traveling around South America it made a big difference to be able to use a few words of the local language”

Mrs D Martin (Cleaning Supervisor)

“When on holiday, even a few words for directions and meeting and greeting can go a long way and avoid a lot of frustration”

Mrs N Brooks (Administration Manager)

“It’s great to be able to go on holiday and exchange a few words with local people, you get a much better reception!”

Mrs S Wakefield (Finance and Personnel Manager)

“I lived on an RAF base in Germany for 9 years so we were surrounded by English, but it made it much easier to integrate with the local community if you knew a bit of German.”

Miss Parker (English)

“I have been learning Spanish for the last year so that when I go to Mexico I will be able to speak a little bit ... and I'm really quite nosey so I will be able to listen into conversations!!!”

Miss S Smith (Effective Learning Assistant)

“My Dad always sends to the bar when we’re skiing as he knows I’ll get served quicker than him as I can speak in German”

Miss Harries (English)

“The first phrase my Mum ever taught me in French was ‘est-ce qu’il y a une toilette ici?’ As a result no matter where we went when I was little (be it shop, restaurant or park) I could always spend a penny, a habit I have kept to this day!’

Mrs T Wells (SENCO and Art)

“A trip abroad is just not the same if you can’t say a few words in the language”

Mr J Rogers (Head of Maths)

“I’ve done a lot of surf trips to South West France and it’s much easier sorting out campsites if you know a bit of French”

Miss N Plummer (Effective Learning Assistant)

“It’s good to be able to ask where the toilets are, especially in Turkey”

Mr B Taylor (IT/DT)

“I had a Stag night in Spain when a friend got lost and being able to say a few words in Spanish made it a lot easier when dealing with the police.”

Mr C Chafer (Humanities)

“My brother lives in France so it’s great to be able to get to know his French friends.”

Mr N Martin (Cover Supervisor)

“Not being able to speak Portuguese landed me in the police cells when an unscrupulous restaurant owner called the police claiming we had not paid our bill, when we had!”

Miss R Horne (Effective Learning Assistant)

“When I was 12 I got lost in France, luckily I could remember a few words of French and when a passerby explained to me where to go I was able to pick out the key words”

Miss B Stephens (PA to the Leadership Team)

“I was in the South of France with my ex-boyfriend and he brought the wrong hair dye, which made his hair look awful. I had to rush around different chemists trying to find the solution and luckily for him, I could speak French”

Mr A Keast (Director of Business and Finance)

“In Spanish I can order breakfast and ask for the bill, so I can always start the day with a full stomach!”