Letter from the editor

“It became clear to me that languages were my future when I realised that they open the door to a matrix of beliefs, peoples and cultures unattainable as a monoglot.” So ran the first line of my Personal Statement as I tried (somewhat pretentiously) to explain to my universities why I wanted to study MFL at their institutions. Although it now seems a little grandiose, I stand by my statement: I still strongly believe that it is languages which allow us to communicate thoughts, feelings and information and to understand the rich diversity of human society. This is why I wanted to start The Polyglot - to provide a platform on which to express ideas on the affairs, linguistics, culture and history of Europe in a termly student-led journal. I hope this first issue will fulfill my intention of bringing languages to the forefront of school life; we have articles ranging from the role of languages in business and the importance of linguistics, to travelling in Colombia and growing up in Italy, and, excitingly, no less than three interviews with our lovely language assistants! It almost goes without saying that this publication is not purely designed to entertain and intrigue, it also looks to help readers increase their linguistic competence through challenging vocab and grammar, and deepen their understanding of foreign culture through, for example, the Fact Files. But enough from me. It only remains for me to thank you for picking up this issue, and to thank all the wonderful people - designers, mentors, editors, teachers and contributors - without whom this enterprise would never have come to fruition.

-Hector Stinton, Editor

ContentsThe Polyglot 3

FrenchL'Étranger: Translating a Masterpiece 4France Fact File 13Cinéma Pour Toi 14Assistants Interviews 24

GermanMauerfall, a Witness of the Time 10German Dynasties 17Germany Fact File 22Assistant Interview 22

SpanishTravelling in Colombia 6Assistant Interview 20Spain Fact File 21

OpinionIn Defence of Linguistics 8Language in Business 12An Italian Adventure 15

4 The Polyglot

Arts

L’Étranger:Translating a MasterpieceHector Stinton investigates the difficulties of interpreting Camus’ most famous novel

“Aujourd’hui, maman est morte”. So runs the first line of arguably the most important work in modern French literature. The titular

character is Meursault, an indifferent French Algerian ("a citizen of France living in North Africa, a man of the Mediterranean, an homme du midi yet one who hardly partakes of the traditional Mediterranean culture") who, after attending his mother's funeral, indifferently kills an Arab man whom he recognises in French Algiers. The story is divided into two parts: Meursault's 1st-person narrative view before and after the murder. Nitty-gritty tense issues aside, this first sentence of “The Stranger” is so elementary that even a child with a basic grasp of French could fairly translate it. So why do the pros keep getting it wrong?

The first person to attempt Camus’ magnum opus in English was Stuart Gilbert, an English scholar and friend of James Joyce. In 1946, Gilbert translated the book’s title as “The Outsider” and interpreted the first line as “Mother died today.” Simple, succinct, and incorrect. Updated translations of L’Étranger opted for Gilbert’s revised title, “The Stranger,” but kept his first line. It wasn’t until 1988 that the line saw a single word changed. It was then that translator and poet Matthew Ward reverted “Mother” back to Maman. One word? What’s the fuss? A key part of how we view and ultimately judge Meursault lies in our perception of his relationship with his mother. We condemn or set him free based not on the crime he commits but on our assessment of him as an individual. Does he love his mother? Or is he cold toward her, uncaring, even?

First impressions matter, and, for 42 years, the way that English readers were introduced to

Meursault was through the detached formality of his statement: “Mother died today.” There is little warmth, little bond or affection or love in “Mother,” which is a static, archetypal term, not the sort of thing we use for a living, breathing being with whom we have close relations. To do so would be like calling the family dog “Dog” or a husband “Husband.” The word forces us to see Meursault as distant from the woman who bore him.

What if the opening line had read, “Mummy died today.”? How would we have seen Meursault then? Likely, our first impression would have been of a child speaking. Rather than being put off, we would have felt pity or sympathy. But this, too, would have presented an inaccurate view of Meursault. The truth is that neither of these translations - “Mother” or “Mummy” - ring true to the original. The French word maman hangs somewhere between the two extremes: it’s neither the cold and distant “mother” nor the overly childlike “mommy.” In English, “mum” might seem the closest fit for Camus’s sentence, but there’s still something off-putting and abrupt about the single-syllable word; the two-syllable maman has a touch of softness and warmth that is lost with “mum.”

So how is the English-language translator to avoid unnecessarily influencing the reader? It seems that Matthew Ward, the novel’s most recent translator, did the most logical thing: nothing. He left Camus’s word untouched, rendering the famous first line, “Maman died today.” It could be said that Ward introduces a new problem: now, right from the start, the English reader is faced with a foreign term, with a confusion not previously present. Ward’s translation is clever, though, and three reasons demonstrate why his is, perhaps, the best solution.

First, the French word maman is familiar enough for an English-language reader to grasp. Around the globe, as children learn to form words by babbling, they begin with the simplest sounds. In many languages, bilabials such as “m,” “p,” and “b,” as well as the low vowel “a,” are among the easiest to produce. As a result, in English, we find that children initially refer to the female parent as “mama.” Even in a language as seemingly different as Mandarin Chinese, we find māma; in the languages of Southern India we get amma, and in Norwegian, Italian, Swedish, and Icelandic, as well as many other languages, the word

‘The action of the novel is therefore driven by this loss, leading inexorably to the end’

The Polyglot 5Arts

used is “mamma.” The French maman is so similar that the English-language reader will effortlessly understand it.

As the years pass, new generations of English readers, who often first encounter Camus’ book in Sixth Form, grow increasingly removed from the novel’s historical context. Using the original French word in the first sentence rather than any of the English options also serves to remind readers that they are in fact entering a world different from their own. While this hint may not be enough to inform the younger reader that, for example, the likelihood of a Frenchman in colonial Algeria getting the death penalty for killing an armed Arab was slim to nonexistent, at least it provides an initial allusion to these extra-textual facts.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the English reader will harbour no preconceived notions of the word maman. We will understand it with ease, but it will carry no baggage, it will plant no unintended seeds in our head. The word will neither sway us to see Meursault as overly cold and heartless nor as overly warm and loving. And while some of the word’s precision is indeed lost for the English-language reader, maman still gives us a more neutral-to-familiar tone than “mother,” one that seems closer to Camus’ original.

So if Matthew Ward finally corrected the mother problem, what exactly has he, and the other translators, gotten wrong? The linguistic fluency of translators tells them that, syntactically, “Aujourd'hui, maman est morte,” is not the most fluid English

phrase. So rather than the more literal translation, “Today, Mother has died,” we get, “Mother died today,” which is the smoother, more natural rendering. But the question is: In changing the sentence’s syntax, are we also changing its logic? The answer is a resounding oui. Rendering the line as “Mother died today” neglects a specific ordering of ideas that offer insight into Meursault’s inner psyche. Throughout the novel, the reader comes to see that Meursault is a character who, first and foremost, lives for the moment. He does not dwell on the past; he does not worry about the future. What matters is today. The single most important factor of his being is right now.

Yet Maman is not far from his thoughts. Reflective of Camus’ life, Meursault shares a unique relationship with his mother, due in part to her inability to communicate (Camus’ own mother was illiterate, partially deaf, and had trouble speaking). Both Camus and Meursault yearn for Maman, for her happiness and love, but find the expression of these feelings difficult. Rather than distancing mother from son, though, this tension puts Maman at the center of her son’s life. As the book opens, the loss of Maman places her between Meursault’s ability to live for today and his recognition of a time when there will no longer be a today.

The action of the novel is therefore driven by this loss, leading inexorably to the end, the final period, the thing that hangs over all else: death. Early in the book, Camus links the death of Meursault’s mother with the oppressive, perpetual sun, so that when we reach the climactic beach scene, we see the symbolism: sun equals loss of mother, sun causes Meursault to pull the trigger. To make it more explicit, Camus writes “It was the same sun as on the day I buried Maman and, like then, my forehead was hurting me, all of the veins pulsating together beneath the skin.” As the trigger gives way, so, too, today, the beginning - through the loss of Maman - succumbs to death, the end. Thus the syntax of Camus’ first sentence is no accident: today is interrupted by Maman’s death. Yet, we have yet to see it correctly rendered in an English translation of “L’Étranger,” - it should read: “Today, Maman died.”

‘The word will not sway us to

see Meursault as overly cold and

heartless’

6 The Polyglot

Culture

Travelling in ColombiaA year in Colombia opened Regina Engel-Hart’s eyes to one of the most beautiful countries in South America

Hagamos una prueba “científica” entre los lectores: ¿En qué piensa usted cuando escucha (o en este caso lee) “Colombia”? ¿Tal vez en el

descubridor de América Cristóbal Colón? ¡Perfecto! Pero seguramente no me estoy equivocando admitiendo que una de sus primeras asociaciones fue con el narcotráfico y la cocaína, o con las FARC y las desapariciones de turistas en la selva, o por lo menos con los robos en las calles y la criminalidad – en general: los riesgos.

Sin embargo, el eslogan elegido por el Ministerio de turismo es “El único riesgo es que te quieras quedar”. ¿De dónde viene entonces esa confianza? Es simple. Colombia es un país que fácilmente puede superar (sus propios) prejuicios.

Colombia se baña en el oeste del mar Pacífico y en el este del mar Caribe. En el sur, tiene frontera

con el Amazonas y no podemos olvidar a los Andes que atraviesan el país. Esa variedad geográfica de selvas amazónicas, playas de arena blanca del Caribe o de arena negra en el Pacífico y montañas altas proporcionan a Colombia una variedad inmensa de especies en flora y fauna, similar a la de Costa Rica. De hecho, la región de Medellín es uno de los exportadores más importantes de flores de Europa.

Es más, ubicado cerca del ecuador geográfico, Colombia no depende de las estaciones como el invierno o el verano sino de las alturas. La capital, Bogotá, está a 2600 metros de altura y el clima se parece al otoño europeo con mucha niebla y lluvia. Bajando unos cuantos de cientos de kilómetros en coche, uno se siente como en verano, disfrutando de temperaturas alrededor de los 30ºC. En comparación, la segunda ciudad, Medellín, es famosa por su

The Polyglot 7Culture

eterna primavera y seduce con sol y fauna siempre floreciente. Ya en la costa (a más o menos 0 m de altura) nos encontramos con el clima típico del Caribe.

Los turistas que quieren gozar de toda esta variedad geográfica y disfrutar de los encantos más escondidos de Colombia pueden utilizar una red de transporte adaptada a las necesidades del terreno. El autobús o la buseta (tipo de autobús pequeño) es el medio de transporte más común y barato, pero si uno desea cubrir más kilómetros o alturas hay también varias líneas aéreas. Cogiendo un taxi en la ciudad, puede incluso realizar una visita guiada gracias a los taxistas hospitalarios que disfrutan luciendo su país.

En general, la gente es quizás la cualidad más grande de este país. Los colombianos son diversos, claro, según la región en la que viven. Sin embargo, destaca su amabilidad incondicional. Son atentos (el servicio al cliente es incomparable), pacientes (¡muy

conveniente para estudiantes del español!) y siempre disponible para resolver problemas – más de una vez me han ayudado a encontrar la línea correcta de buseta, incluso esperaron hasta que hubiera subido al vehículo.

Viviendo un año en este país maravilloso, tengo que compartir mis lugares favoritos. Claro, Bogotá como la capital es imperdible. Posee el museo de oro (¿Quién no ha escuchado de El Dorado que buscaba Cristóbal Colón? Sí, ¡estaba buscándolo en Colombia!) y de La Candelaria, el centro histórico que impresiona por su creatividad. Medellín, todavía famosa por Pablo Escobar y el narcotráfico, convence por su ambición de transformar la ciudad a través de la cultura: El artista y escultor Fernando Botero está presente en todas partes de la ciudad y el edificio impresionante de la Biblioteca España está localizado en Santo Domingo, una de las zonas más afectadas por la pobreza y la violencia en los años ochenta.

Si uno quiere escapar de la urbanidad, el parque nacional Tayrona en la costa caribe ofrece la tranquilidad y las vistas al mar que uno espera del Caribe. Paseando por las playas blancas, las vistas no son afeadas por bloques gigantes de hoteles. Al contrario, no hay ningún hotel en el parque nacional – se duerme en una hamaca o, si quiere más confort o protección de los mosquitos, en una de las 14 cabañas lujuriosas.

Para proteger esta joya de la naturaleza el único turismo que se realiza allí es el ecoturismo y no se permiten coches, solo los pies. La verdad es que uno no quiere desplazarse por otro medio que caminando para disfrutar de toda esa belleza natural.

Estando en la costa caribe, no se puede perder Cartagena de Indias. Está allí que llegó Cristóbal Colón desde Europa y construyó su puerto principal en Colombia. El antiguo puerto se ha transformado en una ciudad animada que guardó el encanto caribeño con sus edificios coloniales colorados.

No se pueden mencionar todos los lugares que merecen la pena visitar – la zona cafetera con sus palmeros gigantes, el amazonas, la región pacífica, … La diversidad increíble, la autenticidad de los lugares, la amabilidad de la gente dejan suponer que los tesoros de Colombia aún son un soplo, un secreto, ya que todavía este país no ha perdido su encanto al turismo global – seguro que debería perder su fama negativa.

’The only risk is that you will want

to stay’

‘Colombia has much more to offer than it’s prejudices’

8 The Polyglot

In Defense of LinguisticsOllie Sayeed (OA) defends the subject which he is passionate for

“Ah! So, how many languages do you speak?”So goes the most common response

to the information that I’m going to do a degree in something called linguistics. The question is understandable: most people’s experience of studying language, as opposed to speaking it without any second thought, come from school subjects such as French or Latin, where the objective is just to learn the language to be able to speak and read fluently. My truthful answer to this is “one!” - the only language in which I have any interest in conversational proficiency is my native one, English. I have knowledge of Latin, Greek, German, and a few others, but my interest in this doesn’t take the form of learning yet more words like sesquilibra or verworfen, nor reading any literature in these languages. These are the only language-related activities currently available at school, and they lead to a misconception about what linguistics is - something quite different. Linguistics doesn’t necessarily involve learning any languages at all, but it involves learning about them.

For example, I have never attempted to learn a word of Turkish. I have no idea how to discuss the weather, or politics, nor can I name any irregular verbs (or say what a Turkish verb even looks like). I do however have some knowledge about Turkish, that a linguist - in the sense of someone trained in linguistics, not just a language learner - might be more interested in. In English, we’re used to sentences of the form I want a book, where the words strictly fall in the order subject-verb-object. In Turkish, this sentence would be Ben kitap istiyorum, literally I the book want - in other words, Turkish has a preferred word order of subject-object- verb, as do Latin and Japanese. We describe English as SVO, and Turkish as SOV; modern Irish is VSO, and Xavante (or Yoda from Star Wars) is OSV. So far all we have done is list facts. Is there anything to this grouping of languages? It turns out, curiously, that languages with SOV word order share other common properties - they are more likely to use auxiliary verbs after main verbs, and possessed nouns after their genitive noun phrases. SVO languages do the opposite. Strong statistical tendencies are called linguistic universals, and they pose a puzzle for linguists as to how they have come to exist - what do these tell us about the capacity for language that our brains have evolved, and how it is structured? (An English exception to the SVO order is in set examples such as scarcely had she done this; this turns out to be a fossilized usage from an earlier stage of the language, and to explain this, we need the discipline of historical linguistics!)

This fact about Turkish is a syntactic one, i.e. concerning the way that sentences are structured.

There are more ways to describe Turkish linguistically, on different levels, and how it differs from English. The two languages also differ in how they join words (or more properly morphemes, units of meaning) together to form new ones; Turkish is described as having an agglutinative morphology, meaning that its grammar creates words by compounding together lots of small parts to a stem. Famously in extreme cases, this results in long words such as bayramlasamadıklarımız (those of our number with whom we cannot exchange the season’s greetings)! English and Chinese are described, conversely, as analytic languages, meaning that they convey grammatical relationships using separate words.

On the level of sounds, too, there are linguistic statements to be made. Unlike English, Turkish has a

phonological restriction on what sounds can appear together in a word, known as vowel harmony - every word must contain only vowels pronounced at the back of the mouth (a, ı, o, and u), or at the front (e, i, o, and u), so that gundur and paltodur are possible words, but * gundur and * paltodur are not (denoted by an asterisk before the word). Turkish also contains sounds which English doesn’t, such as the vowel [Ɯ], denoted by the dotless letter ı - the study of the sounds that languages use in their vocabulary is called phonology, and is quite far from anything considered in a school modern languages lesson.

For classicists and modern linguists, these examples may be quite a new way of looking at language. Of my school year group of 150, none other than me knew very much about linguistics (as opposed to knowing languages), and few friends and family have much acquaintance with the subject. A simple definition of linguistics is “the science of language” - the study of a complicated natural phenomenon, and the rules that govern it, and its origin in the brain, and its discernible history. As we have seen, these rules can apply at different levels, to different aspects of speech: syntax describes the structure of sentences,

‘The science of language - a

simple definition of linguistics’

The Polyglot 9

morphology the makeup of words, and phonology the rules concerning sounds.

One token of evidence that there are young people like myself interested in linguistics is the popularity of the International Linguistics Olympiad, from which I have recently returned in Beijing, having also competed last year in Manchester. As one of twelve International Science Olympiads, the individual competition involves a series of five challenging puzzles in completely unknown languages - which the contestants understand no more than I do Turkish! - where the objective is to explain the patterns, rules, and principles underlying some data, similar to the rules governing vowel harmony we have seen. This year’s paper included deducing the phonological rules behind noun pluralization in Kiowa, the principles of verbal morphology in Benabena, and patterns in accentuation in Engenni. We’d heard of none of these languages, but no matter! Linguistics is about pattern-spotting, rather than language-learning.

The IOL (interestingly, the acronym is designed to be internationally neutral, by not corresponding to the word order in any language) is a social and cultural experience as well as an academic one. Far from being all linguists, my fellow contestants were everything from mathematicians to philosophers - indeed, the statistics from successful UK participants show that almost all of them also have high mathematical ability, suggesting that similar logical, symbol-manipulating skills are required for both subjects. Conversations ranged from multidimensional chess variants to communist politics. Beijing in particular was a fascinating city to visit; I had never visited Asia before, so the short trips out to the Great Wall, a teahouse, a palace, and a traditional opera were all experiences worth having - as was the chance to talk to Chinese students about newspapers and voting, and see the effects of a government very at odds with anything in the West.

Despite this interest in the field, there currently exists no A-level in Linguistics: it remains the only International Science Olympiad with no examinable equivalent at secondary school level. My personal experience of this was that I was pushed into studying otherwise(relatively) undesirable A-levels, since Latin and Greek are mostly concerned with reading and analysing classical literature, and German and other modern language A-levels largely entail learning about foreign culture and discussing social issues.

English Language comes closer in its emphasis on language itself, but describes no languages other than English, and with a relatively low level of technical detail, with a focus on comparing particular texts rather than considering language in general as an area of study. Questions about phonetics, phonology, morphology, semantics, syntax, pragmatics, child language acquisition, the psychology of second-language learning, the history of languages, and the biological apparatus underlying the whole edifice, are left unmentioned in any A-levels today, and yet many other young people I’ve talked to find these topics interesting - once they realize a linguistic way of thinking exists.

Popular authors such as Steven Pinker and David Crystal have sold successful books for a lay audience introducing some of these concepts informally, and linguistics is a thriving academic discipline with manifold areas of research overlapping with psychology, cognitive science, biology, mathematics, computer science, philosophy, physics, history, and literature - the branch of knowledge has the capacity to enthral, and I am testament to this! The evidence points to linguistics appealing to both genders alike, with females being uniquely in the majority for a science. The UK Linguistics Olympiad has had almost 2,000 entrants in recent years; given the strong research base of linguistics, and the wealth and variety of knowledge available, one wonders how much more popular the subject might be if an outlet existed in schools.

My own interest in linguistics has survived outside of school, from popular literature, introductory textbooks, public talks at universities, and most often Wikipedia pages (consistently as well-written and informative as books), but also off-syllabus titbits from interesting teachers. I suspect there are others like me, who share a love of the subject, but a frustration that our current A-levels don’t cater for it; or indeed some who have no idea that linguistics exists, for whom linguistics would be an ideal subject, but are set on paths in modern languages or classics as their closest alternative. For people who have ever asked where languages come from, or why they change, or how they are connected - or shown any deeper curiosity for why language is the way it is - linguistics might just be the perfect choice.

‘The only language in which I have any interest in conversational proficiency is my native one, English. I have knowledge of Latin,

Greek, German, and a few others, but my interest in this doesn’t take the form of learning yet more words like sesquilibra or

verworfen, nor reading any literature in these languages’

10 The Polyglot

History

MauerfallA Witness of the Time

Alexandra von Widdern recalls her life in a divided Berlin and the fall of the wall in 1989

W _hen I was young, Zeitzeugen (witnesses of the time) were those who had witnessed the Holocaust or the separation of Germany and

the construction of the Berlin wall in August 1961. I, however, was born into a divided Germany. The wall was part of my childhood. It was a feature of my everyday life, next to the stables where I went horse riding or in front of us when we climbed a hill on a Saturday afternoon walk with our parents. The stretch around us seemed impenetrable and the carefully raked ‘Todesstreifen’ with its watchtowers, guard dogs and soldiers on the other side inspired our mild curiosity but it was just a fact of life for people my age in West-Berlin.

Luckily, I lived on the more fortunate side in a system that allowed us free speech, democratic elections and afforded us all the benefits of capitalism. That life on the other side of the wall could be very different, I did not learn until it had fallen. Overnight, my year at school gained 30 pupils from East Berlin, I became friends with people ’from over there’. Archives and files were made public and those who suffered more than those who benefitted from the socialist system spoke out. At the time, I was not aware that I would be a ‘Zeitzeuge’ of the end of the Cold War.

I had just turned 14 when the wall fell. Until then, it could mean long delays on our regular journeys to the Baltic Sea. As West-Berlin was entirely surrounded by the Soviet zone and therefore the wall, we had to pass through ‘die Zone’ in order to reach our holiday house near Denmark. On exiting Berlin, the West-Berlin customs officers were always ready to joke or wave to us, not so the Eastern German officers. My sister and I spent years trying to make one of them smile and we only succeeded once. Stony-faced, they sat in their huts while they inspected everybody’s passport in detail and stamped each one. My father always admonished us: “Keine Sperenzchen!” You were always running the risk of being waved over on the smallest of suspicions, your car taken apart to its basic components which would, together with the contents of your luggage, be spread all over the tarmac in search for smuggled goods or people. After hours of inspection, you would be left with the debris to reassemble yourself before continuing on your journey. Every time we saw such cases at the checkpoints, we felt sorry for them and ‘behaved’.

There were three corridors leading out of West-Berlin through ‘die Zone’ and into Western Germany: One north, one west and one south. As much as my father liked to scare my mother by putting his foot down on the ‘Autobahn’, he kept strictly to the speed limit in the ‘Zone’. There were ‘Radarkontrollen’ at regular intervals. Once we had to stop because my sister was feeling unwell. My mother hissed at us not to make eye contact with anyone, not to talk to anyone, just to hurry up and come back to the car. Only years later did I understand that even speaking to Eastern Germans, who were also allowed to frequent these roads, would have made us suspicious to the authorities. Before we were born, when my mother had been working in one of the offices of the ‘Staatsschutz’, the state protection and equivalent of the German MI5, she was forbidden from crossing through the DDR by land at all. The concern that she could have been caught and asked to divulge what would have been minor secrets seemed too severe for the authorities to let her travel by anything but flight. Some of that fear of what the DDR authorities were able to inflict even on us West Berliners was certainly prevalent in my parents.

However, even in West-Berlin, our journeys would have a certain degree of excitement. My maternal grand-parents lived in the north of Berlin and the U-Bahnlinie 8 crossed underneath the then East Berlin. Not only had roads been suddenly divided and neighbours, friends and family cut off from each other and their places of work in the night of the 13th of August 1961, the underground lines leading from the Western zone through the East also had to be considered. Therefore, underground trains from the West would be slowing down to pass through dimly lit stations which seemed stuck in time, manned by armed soldiers in foreign-looking uniforms.

I had never visited East Berlin before 1989. I remember how my father told me on the morning of the 10th of November that the wall was open and thousands of Eastern Germans were streaming into the West on foot or in their their Trabant cars. The next day was a Saturday and our father, who had visited East Berlin before, drove with us to ‘Mitte’, the true centre of Berlin. My first impressions were many: The smell of the two-tact engines produced by ‘their’ cars mixed in with the coal and ash coming from the

The Polyglot 11History

ovens used to heat people’s flats. The dilapidated but impressive buildings on ‘Museumsinsel’ still showing the bullet holes of the Second World War. The odd fashion of the Eastern-Germans with their ‘VoKuHiLa’ (Vorne kurz hinten lang) haircuts and stonewashed jeans. The fact that there were so few goods displayed in the shop windows.

A few years later I became good friends with a historian who had grown up only 3 kilometers from me on the other side of the wall. However, not only his accent was different but his whole vocabulary: Of course, the word for driving licence in the former East did not remain ‘Fuhrerschein’ (form to lead/guide) but became ‘Fahrerlaubnis’ (permission to drive), which was only one example of the political influence on language and a linguistic reaction to the NS-Regime. Orwell’s Newspeak was not far from this example. But could you really rid yourself of national-socialist and xenophobic tendencies by changing the language? The fact that the worst xenophobic atrocities in the 1990s were committed in the former East shows that it was not.

Some say, the wall only fell because the press officer Gunter Schabowski, when pressed to give details about the exact time when the visa-restrictions for East Berliners travelling to the West would be lifted, stammered, ill-informed: “As of now.” When soldiers at the border control posts saw themselves confronted with thousands, they no longer shot at those crossing into the West.

Some say, the DDR was so bankrupt that the country could not have functioned any longer in any case. Others say, the people who had been deserting the DDR in droves via former Eastern block

countries such as Hungary and Czechoslovakia had put the pressure on: The government was losing its people and had to act. Many, however, believe that the peacefully demonstrating crowds of those DDR citizens who wanted to stay and make it a more democratic state, of those who dared to speak out for change in the streets in their hundreds of thousands, gaining strength in numbers every week and thus making repercussions against individuals impossible, brought down one of the last staunch socialist regimes with their slogan of ‘Wir sind das Volk’. The latter is the reason why those pictures of hundreds of people standing on top of the wall are still so powerful for me today, twenty-five years after the event.

Many believe that the peacefully demonstrating crowds with their slogan ‘We are the people’ brought down one of the last staunch socialist regimes.

Extra Material

Margarita Morris, Oranges for Christmas: A novel for teenagers exploring life on both sides of the wall. Available from the school libraryBarbara: Film exploring the repercussions a young doctor had to endure once she had applied for permission to leave the DDRGood-bye Lenin: A Comedy about the fall of the wallThe Lives of Others: Oscar-winning film exploring the relationship between a Stasi officer and those he spied onEugen Ruge, In Times of Fading Light: A sweeping story of one family over fifty years in East GermanyUwe Tellkamp, The Tower: An in-depth fictional account of life in the DDR

12 The Polyglot

Languages in BusinessBusiness man Alex Pickering explores the role of languages in the world of work

On Monday 22nd September 2014, Alex Pickering was invited by Abingdon School to give a talk on the importance of languages and the world

of work. Students from both Abingdon School and St. Helen’s attended in the year’s first Joint MFL dinner.

“Did you know that there are over 6,000 languages spoken in the world, today? There are, therefore, a vast number of ways to greet an expectant crowd – but we won’t go through the entire list, it would take all day! It really is a pleasure to be with you and I would like to thank the MFL presidents’ and their teams for organising today’s event – a celebration of languages through cuisine, conversation and a little Cabernet Sauvignon.

“Today, we live in a globalised, digital world where you can have a conversation anytime, anyplace, anywhere. The same is true for business and the world of work. However, instant communications does not mean better communications, and an essential part of successful international trade and business is to be able to not only communicate in your customer’s language but also to understand their culture. As Willy Brandt, the former German Chancellor, once said: “If I sell you something, I speak your language. But if I buy, ...dann mussen Sie Deutsch sprechen! (...then you must speak German!)”

“For you to better understand my point, it may be useful for me to illustrate my background. I studied German at school and then German Studies with Business at University. Upon leaving I got my first job – but not one requiring any German! You may think “Well, that was a waste of time” yet significantly, my breakthrough came a short while later when I was working in the Marketing Department of an insurance company. The Manager came in, one day, and said “Which one of you speaks German”. Of the four in the team, I was the only one who could put up my hand to say: “Ja, ich spreche Deutsch”. “Great” he said, “you are going to complete a project in Zurich, Switzerland.”

“I did, it worked and I was then transferred to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. I can see why many would question the logic of this. The point is that I had proved to my company that I could work in another country – had understood the language and also the culture – and I could do my work, the project. So, I was seen as “international”. From Kuala Lumpur I went on to Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Canada and then in Europe: France, Germany, Spain and Italy. I spent some 12 – 15 years of the main part of my career travelling the world, meeting interesting people and working on exciting projects – and got paid for it, too!

“All this was possible, because, at one point, I had the opportunity to work in Zurich. The same applies to you, too – it may not be languages, it may be

another skill that will get you places, but when you get the opportunity to say “I can,” then that may well be the start of a new direction; the inception of a career or the opportunity for promotion. And why do employers like linguists? Because they usually offer the key transferable skills which employers value such as communication, team building and problem solving. I myself now work with the Goethe-Institut and assist in promoting languages, German specifically. I also own my own company where I work with mainly German businesses operating in the UK and vice versa. I have the opportunity to use my German on a daily basis.

“Remember, languages are not just something you do at school, then forget. They are a life skill and will stay with you for ever. On holiday, at work, in communication – languages really do make a difference. Yet some people don’t take languages forward at school because they perceive them as only relevant if you want to work as a teacher, translator

or interpreter. This is not the case. Yes, it is essential to have a high level of language skill for these jobs, but there are many, many roles out there, in every sector, where having a language can give you a distinct advantage, in business, international politics, law, media etc. Sometimes students even worry that they won’t be fluent in the language. This is not a problem - a few phrases can take you a long way and to be really fluent in a foreign language, you will need to have lived in that country for some time.

“So, why, for example, is German important? Well nearly 100 million people speak German in Europe – Germany, Switzerland and Austria among others. Also Germany is the UK’s number one non-English speaking trading partner, and there are over 2,000 German companies in the UK including major brands such as Adidas, Bayer, BMW, Deutsche Bank and Mercedes. German companies employ more than 400,000 people here in the UK.

“When it comes to University, please remember

‘Today, we live in a globalised, digital

world where you can have a

conversation’ anytime, anyplace,

anywhere’

The Polyglot 13

the word ERASMUS – under this scheme you can travel and study in a country of your choice as part of your Course. Many of the courses are offered in English, and at most universities you can combine a language with your chosen subject e.g. Science and German, Engineering and German, Business and Spanish, to name just a few. Or, alternatively, you can learn a language ab initio or on a modular basis. Living and working in another country is an excellent way to develop your linguistic and cultural awareness, but perhaps more importantly, a year abroad is often seen as one of the best of your life – you come back a more confident, enriched and self-aware person, and, coincidentally, more employable.

“However, it is not just about learning the language. The culture of a country is very important, too – when you are studying a language, take time to learn about the culture of that country; how it “works”, its norms and behaviours. Consider too the different business practices, the ways of doing business in a country – they vary, significantly: dress code, arranging meetings, the use of time can be very different to what you are used to. Make sure you are aware of the cultural differences, combine this with your foreign language knowledge and you will be able to communicate effectively.

“In summary, I urge all students - whether studying for GCSE, AS, A2 or IB - to take your language skills forward as they will not only give you the edge in your future careers, but will enrich the life you will lead, the things you will see and the people you will meet. Enjoy learning languages, you have every opportunity to do so, and I wish you every success with your current studies and in the language-enriched lives you will lead.”

• Frenchisthefirstlanguageofonly88%ofFrance

• Franceisthemostvisitedcountryintheworld with 83,000,000 tourists in 2012

• Louvremuseummostvisitedmuseumin2012

• 1in5Frenchpeoplehaveexperienceddepression, making it the most depressed country in the world

• Theaverageamountofpeopleperhousehold is only 2.38 people, which is much lower than the OECD average of 2.63

• Franceisoneofthetopspendersonfamilieswithexpendituresof3.7%ofGDPin2007 compared to the average of 2.2

• Frenchschoolshaveabout36weeksatschool per year, and 16 weeks of holiday

• Secondaryschoolshavealongdayusuallystarting from 8 am until 6 pm

• AnypupilthatpassestheFrenchbaccalauréat examination is guaranteed entry to a university unlike in the UK where strict grade boundaries are often required.

• In2012,theaverageretiringageformenwas 59.7 years and for women 60 making it the lowest out of every European country

• Ithasoneoftheworstunemploymentratesat9.8%in2006

• 81%ofwomenbetweentheageof25and49 are in work, including ¾ of those who have two children

France Fact File‘A few phrases can take you a long way’

14 The Polyglot

Arts

Cinéma pour toiAlex Gatenby reviews some of his favourite French films

Ne le dis à personne (Tell No One)Réalisateur: Guillaume Canet

Ce film raconte l’histoire d’un homme, Alexandre Beck, dont l’épouse a été assassinée il y a huit ans. Après avoir trouvé un nouvel indice, la police reprend le dossier et Alexandre est encore le suspect principal. Cependant, les affaires deviennent plus mystérieuses quand l’homme regarde une vidéo, envoyée par email, qui montre sa femme, plus âgée mais en vie…

J’ai regardé ‘Ne le dis à personne’ il y a environ deux ans et je le recommande toujours à tout le monde. C’est un thriller captivant, et tout au long du film on ne sait jamais comment il va finir. Le film attire mon attention alors que l’intrigue se développe.

Amélie Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie PoulainRéalisateur: Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Le film parle d’une jeune timide, qui s’appelle Amélie Poulain. Elle a été élevée par des parents excentriques, et donc elle a une vive imagination. Amélie décide d’aider ceux qu’elle rencontre pour changer leurs vies en mieux, et en chemin elle trouve le grand amour. Cette comédie romantique est jouée par Audrey Tautou et Mathieu Kassovitz.

Tout le monde devrait regarder ce film à un moment, et Amélie mérite toutes les récompenses gagnées. Quant à moi, c’est probablement mon film français favori parce qu’à chaque fois que je le regarde, ça me fait rire! On se souviendra toujours de ce film bizarre.

Les Intouchables (The Intouchables)Réalisateurs: Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano

Après avoir eu un accident de parapente qui l’a mené à la paralysie, un aristocrate recrute un jeune pour lui donner un emploi de concierge. La relation entre les deux hommes – François Cluzet et Omar Sy – se développe pendant le film, et c’est tout naturellement que le film a gagné beaucoup de récompenses impressionnantes après sa sortie.

Personnellement, je pense que cette comédie est à ne pas rater, car elle fait éclater de rire! En plus, le jeu et la synchronisation sont impeccables.

The Polyglot 15

An Italian AdventureTeddy Curtis recounts his experience of growing up in “Il Bel Paese”

In 2003, my family embarked on the move of our life. I was an Oxford- raised 7-year old boy when I moved to rural Tuscany in Italy. Undeniably, describing it as

a culture shock doesn’t really bring into perspective the complete juxtaposition of the two countries. My parents originally intended on remaining for a year, but 5 years later they decided it was time to move back.

Integrating into Italian life was hard enough, but the language barrier definitely made things harder. The only practise of learning the language came from the BBC videos of ‘Muzzy’, which was a programme directed at younger children to help them learn languages, such as French, German, Spanish and French. However, my parents seemed to underestimate how much we could learn. When we arrived in Italy, I knew so little that I didn’t even know the word for water, thus one day I went home to my parents crying from dehydration. When I first moved, I was unfortunate enough to be the only English person in the entire school, and the minimal amount of English lessons meant that communication with fellow students was practically non-existent. Fortunately we were only in the Marche for a few months temporarily. Finally we settled down in the town of Cortona, known for its beautiful culture and located on a hillside. At

least at this school there was one other English girl, who basically tutored me. By the end of the first year, I was almost fluent. When you are of a young age and completely immersed in a different country, learning the language is a very quick procedure.

Once I began to be able to communicate, I was able to create some friendships that will stick with me forever (very cheesy I know, however it is so true). Having lived in such a small town, I knew almost everyone and the sense of community really brought everyone together. Whenever I was walking down “Via Nazionale”, I at least stumbled across some people I knew every five minutes with my family. For a simple 200m walk, it took at least 30 minutes with all the conversations we had with our friends, for example the butchers, the couple in the “fruttivendolo” and so on so forth. In fact, I think that the Italians are some of the nicest people I have ever met. They are all so welcoming and kind, so much so that anywhere else in the world I wouldn’t have felt more welcome and at home.

I have had so many memories from Italy: the food, the people, the house, the town, however one really stands out. My favourite moment was without a doubt in 2006. I was 8 years old, it was the football

16 The Polyglot

World Cup, Italy was in the final against France and it was displayed live on a massive big screen in the centre of town. Zinedine Zidane had scored an early penalty for the French, but they didn’t have the lead for long with Marco Materazzi equalising with a towering head. I can confirm that Italy is a lively and crazy country, particularly when it comes to football. The Italian goal made everyone go crazy, I have never heard of such a roar from the crowds and crowds of people in the main square. People were crying, people were screaming, people were chanting, people were dancing. It was only 1-1 at this point, and the locals were still going ballistic.

They quietened down a bit for the rest of the game throughout the stalemate between the two teams apart from a period of anger and abuse being thrown at Zinedine Zidane, sent off for head butting the other goal scorer Marco Materazzi. People were shaking and trembling and closing their eyes throughout the penalties. David Trezeguet missed his, with the ball striking the cross bar. It was the last penalty kick; Fabio Grosso had to score for Italy to win. Hardly anyone was looking, and I was one of only a few who looked. He took his run up; the keeper diver left, the ball went right, the net embraced the ball. It was over; Italy had won. I just knelt on the floor and cried and cried and cried. The people were even crazier and everyone got onto their motorbikes and sped around the narrow alleys waving their flags, screaming and celebrating like a proper nation does - and I was part of it. I was crying tears of joy obviously, I had never experienced so much emotion in my life and it was the peak of my childhood so far.

Although integrating into Italian life at the beginning was very hard, this experience just shows how much I had become an Italian. Italy was my home; I was beginning to feel very Italian. I was forgetting my English, I had so many friendships and my life was perfect. I wanted to stay in Italy and it took me several weeks to finally forgive my parents for choosing to move back to England. However, having gone through the English education system, I have begun to learn about the opportunities that I wouldn’t have grown up to have in Italy. I think the Italian schooling system wasn’t of the highest calibre. The teaching varies; my primary school teacher was brilliant, more for her personal qualities rather than her abilities. School wasn’t taken seriously, and many kids just left school

at a fairly early age. The peninsula has growing unemployment and

financial problems due to the corruption. Most of my friends will have to go into their family business because they have no choice, there is no other option out there for them. My old best friend is now working in his dad’s supermarket and has been doing so since the age of 15, because he doesn’t see any other future than that. Families don’t live with their grandparents because they want to, again they have no choice and houses are usually inherited and shared with your older and younger generations because people don’t earn enough. My other friend’s dad didn’t even start earning any money until the age of 40. The property business in Italy is about as corrupt as it gets, so it’s understandable the generational sharing of one property. We didn’t have that and the corruption struck us massively, when 5 different people sued our grandmother at the same time for ridiculous prices and ridiculous reason after selling her own house in Florence. This nightmare is still looming over her today 5 years onwards.

Italy was the greatest childhood I could have ever wished for. It took some time to realise it, but when I did I really immersed and settled into the Italian life very well - so much so that moving back to England I felt like an Italian and a foreigner, and many people would agree because of my lack of pronunciation and grammatical ability in English. In England I have a more promising future and a more rigorous education, something which I wouldn’t have got back in Italy. Nevertheless, it was well worth the 5 years of my life which I will always cherish.

‘I can confirm that Italy is a lively and crazy country, particularly when it comes to football’

The Polyglot 17History

German DynastiesEdward Turner-Fussel gives a synoptic view of Germany’s former dynasties

House of HabsburgHistory: The Habsburgs were an Austrian family whose power became entrenched in 1276 when Rudolph of Habsburg took control of the Duchy of Austria, then recognised as a part of the German geographical area. Through generations of careful marriage, the Habsburgs became a key player in European politics, ruling the powerful Austrian state and being the most powerful of the Catholic states in Germany. However, over time the dynasty lost momentum and inbreeding produced some pitiful aberrations of genetics. By 1914 the Habsburgs and the Austro-Hungarian Empire were ailing but by no means destroyed; in 1918 their empire, carefully nurtured and allowing the Habsburgs unrivalled political longevity of six and a half centuries, was ruined and the Habsburgs deposed in the annihilation of German royalty that followed thwe greatest catastrophe to befall Europe since the fall of the Roman Empire.

Major Titles: At various points (not necessarily simultaneously) the family claimed the titles of one empire, fourteen kingdoms, one archduchy, one grand principality, two duchies and one county.

Best Member: Joseph II (1765-1780 as co-

ruler, 1780-1790 as monarch) who pursued a very enlightened policy of free speech, administrative reforms, religious reform, and compulsory education. However, his foreign policy was poor and highly, perhaps excessively, belligerent. His mother and co-ruler, Maria Theresa (1740-1780) holds this title with him, as while she was less intelligent than he, she also had reformist policies and understood what would today be called PR. Her mettle is indicated by her ability to not only survive but even thrive in an era dominated by men.

Worst Member: Probably Ferdinand I (1835-1848), who was a sorry specimen of inbreeding. Epileptic, Hydrocephalitic, and suffering from neurological issues and a speech impediment, Ferdinand had no children and was completely incapable of ruling. When informed that a revolution was taking place, he asked ‘Ja, Durfen’s denn des?’ (‘But are they allowed to do that?’) His favourite habit was rolling around in waste-paper baskets (in adulthood) and his most coherent recorded utterance was ‘I am the Emperor and I want dumplings!’

Today: The Habsburgs remain relatively important today. One of their cadet branches remains in existence and the family used to claim an MEP from their ranks.

For most of its history Germany has been a divided state. German unity only really has de facto existed from 1871 to 1945, with a short break of 45 years before reunifying in 1990. Due to the nature of German politics, there was a strong opportunity for several major dynasties to flourish as tiny statelets, merchant cities and

archbishoprics jostled for position with comparatively large national powers such as Bavaria or Prussia. It is no secret that the Royal family is technically a Germanic dynasty and has been since George I took the throne – but where have other famous dynasties gone? Here is a list of four notable German royal dynasties. All dates given for individuals refer to their reign, not their life.

House of HohenzollernHistory: The Hohenzollerns gradually clawed their way up from humble origins as Counts of Zollern in 1061 before reaching the rank of Dukes of Prussia in 1521. Gradually adding and expanding to their lands, Prussia became one of the most powerful Germanic states, outstripped only by the outsider Austria and rivalled by only Bavaria. On a global scale, Prussia was still very small; the actions of the famous Frederick the Great which allowed Prussia to grow and win grudging respect by triumphing against the sometimes absurd coalitions facing her meant that Napoleon considered

dissolving Prussia altogether when he subjugated Germany. Dissuaded from doing so, he found his comeuppance when the highly militarised Prussian state joined the coalition against him and Prussian troops played a vital role in defeating Napoleon at Waterloo. As a reward, Prussia was given large amounts of land following the Congress of Vienna that concluded the war. The Hohenzollerns took control of all Germany after the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian war, and were dethroned and reduced to marginal importance after 1918

Major Titles: One Empire, Two Kingdoms, One Duchy, Four Marches, Three Principalities

18 The Polyglot

History

House of WelfHistory: It could be argued the Welf family are the most successful family of all German dynasties, because it is they that the Hanover dynasty can trace their origins and through them (tenuously through Victoria) the current Windsor family can also. The Welf (anglicised as Guelph) family came to prominence at around the same time as the Habsburgs and

Wittelsbachs, but rose to power much faster and in greater strength than either. Indeed, the venerable Habsburgs only gained their core territories a full century after the Welf dynasty nearly gained control of most of Germany. Around 1200 the family settled in the region of Braunschweig (Brunswick) and Hanover, and they successfully secured the region against aggression from rival German states. Following the death of Queen Anne and the end of the Stuart dynasty in England in 1714, George I ascended to the

Best Member: Frederick the Great (1740-1786) was the pre-eminent general of his day, and Napoleon himself regarded him as a genius. Winning war after war against overwhelming odds, he was also a patron of arts and philosophy. He opened up the administration to men of common class and not just nobles, but his policies were often oppressive; he treated his Polish subjects poorly and his religious policies too were often harsh. His memory was finally tarnished when he was idolised by the Third Reich; rather depressing, as the man so creepily adored by Hitler would have found every single one of his actions disgusting or absurd.

Worst Member: Wilhelm II (1888-1918) was a

pathetic excuse for a leader. He tried to imitate the effortless Imperial majesty of the British royalty but got the act all wrong; he pretended to be a great warlord while the reality escaped him utterly; he tried to be a shrewd diplomat while disregarding the finest of his generation, Bismarck the ‘Iron Chancellor’. He was an anti-semite and his irrational hatred of everything non-German and his support of the insidious influence of the German general staff on foreign policy led to his own downfall.

Today: The family continues to persist, albeit much reduced from former times, and like the Habsburgs, has some wealth left to it.

The Polyglot 19History

Germany was an eccentric country before Napoleon and even more so in the middle ages. Inscrutable Imperial rights gave Germany the sort of geographical make-up that gave cartographers, let alone travellers, headaches. One is left to wonder whether on 11 November 1918, Germany lost more of her than it may seem; the royals who had ruled for over one thousand years left without so much as a final goodbye, and as observers onto that age of gold turned to rust, lead and iron, we can see first hand how history spares no-one and change has no compunction; our own impermanence and that of our world is easily apparent.

House of WittelsbachHistory: The Wittelsbachs were the Royal Family that controlled Bavaria. Surprisingly, Wittelsbachs were relatively prolific and had the unenviable distinction of being somewhat afflicted by insanity. The Wittelsbachs rose to prominence even earlier than the Habsburgs, around 1180. Bavaria and the Palatinate were always their German powerbases and despite rocky times they often emerged from crises without crippling damage to their political position. The wealth of Bavaria has always been apparent and despite centuries of mismanagement, Bavaria managed to emerge from the Napoleonic wars as one of the major German states in the newly re-organised Germany. However, Bavaria made the error which finally lead to her decisive and final defeat; she elected to side with Austria in the wars for control over Germany. Prussia trounced the armies of Austria and her allies with ease and Bavaria found herself submitting to Prussian domination in the newly unified Germany. Despite a strong independence streak, Bavaria suffered too under the strain of WW1 and its monarchy was deposed, just like their once-allies the Habsburgs and their rivals the Hohenzollerns.

Major Titles: One Empire, Six Kingdoms, Three Electorates, One Duchy

Best Member: Ludwig II (1864-1886) was a patron of the arts sans pareil in Germany. He funded much of Wagner’s work and his devotion to arts and architecture over war was refreshing in an era of muscular posing between the powers. Neuschwanstein-the quintessential fairy-tale palace-was all his creation and thousands of Bavarians live better lives today for his artistic lunacy. However, the dynasty’s insanity caught up to him too, and amidst accusations of not only mere eccentricity but full-blown madness, he died in mysterious circumstances.

Worst Member: Frederick V (1619-1620). In his capacity as King of Bohemia (not Bavaria) his dramatically short reign was marked by a military defeat in a time of great strife. He sought to regain the Kingdom that he had farcically lost after a short period of time but found himself to be foiled by a marked lack of funds. While not particularly nasty, his reign was short and somewhat disappointing, to say the least!

Today: Unlike many of the younger Hohenzollerns, who flirted with Nazism quite extensively, the Wittelsbachs were opposed to Nazism from the start and several members of the family spent time in concentration camps. The Wittelsbachs survived the experience and continue to exist today.

throne of the United Kingdom. Rather ungratefully he continued to spend more time in Hanover than England, but eventually his descendents settled down. Hanover itself, like Bavaria, played its cards incorrectly in 1866 and opposed Prussia, but unlike the latter, it was subsumed into Prussia fully and ceased to trouble geographers thereafter (aside from a very brief stint is a state in post-WWII Germany). Meanwhile the branch which plonked itself upon the British throne has beaten every other German dynasty-by virtue of being the most famous monarchy in the world.

Major Titles: Three Empires, Three Kingdoms, Five Duchies, One Electorate, Two Principalities, One March, One County

Best Member: Victoria (1837-1901) was the woman who presided over what was doubtless the greatest era of British achievement. While she was prone to relying on servants which were often detested by other people close to her, and her much-publicised mourning and isolation earned him some

(well-earned) ire, she remained a steady rock in British politics and did everything that was needed of her as a constitutional monarch-to set the monarchy above politics. Despite her personal dislike of some of her politicians, she was the matriarch of the finest empire that had ever graced the earth.

Worst Member: Frederick V (1619-1620). In his capacity as King of Bohemia (not Bavaria) his dramatically short reign was marked by a military defeat in a time of great strife. He sought to regain the Kingdom that he had farcically lost after a short period of time but found himself to be foiled by a marked lack of funds. While not particularly nasty, his reign was short and somewhat disappointing, to say the least!

Today: The Windsors-direct descendents of the Hanovers and therefore the Welfs-are unquestionably the most successful royal family alive in Europe today. The Welfs have a major and official title-something no other dynasty can boast.

20 The Polyglot

Assistants

Spanish Assistant Interview

¿Qué quiere lograr con esta experiencia?Con esta experiencia, quiero dar a conocer un poco más mi país y romper

algunos estereotipos de España. Además, me encanta enseñar mi lengua materna y dar clases de conversación a los alumnos de Abingdon School ya que puedo transmitir todas mis tradiciones y mi cultura.

¿Qué sabía de la escuela?En la web, vi que se trataba de un colegio de chicos con una buenísima reputación. Después de un mes, me he dado cuenta que a pesar de ser un colegio grandísimo, es un lugar donde te sientes como en casa.

¿Cómo descubrió el colegio de Abingdon?Antes de comenzar en Septiembre, vine en Junio a visitar y me reuní con la Señora Pradas y otros profesores del Departamento de MFL. Todo el mundo me abrió las puertas del colegio como si fuese ya mi hogar.

¿Podría describirse en una frase?Soy una chica que le gusta reír y siempre me dicen que tengo una sonrisa en la cara. Mi lema en la vida es: “Vivir intensamente cada experiencia en la vida.”

¿Tiene alguna experiencia de enseñanza?Sí, en junio de 2007 terminé mis estudios de magisterio en España y trabajé durante 5 años como tutora en una escuela de primaria en Madrid. En 2012 vine a Inglaterra para trabajar como asistente de español en un colegio privado de chicas en Sevenoaks (Kent) y desde Septiembre estoy en Abingdon. Mi sueño sería poder trabajar como profesora de español en Inglaterra.

¿Ha igualado sus expectativas Inglaterra?Después de estar viviendo en Inglaterra durante 3 años, ¡claro que sí! Así que, a pesar del tiempo y a veces la comida que es distinta, Inglaterra es un sitio con un encanto especial para mi.

¿Cómo es su alojamiento?Vivo en Whitefield y comparto casa con la asistente alemana,la asistente china y tres profesores que enseñan en el centro. Cuando llegué fue un poco chocante para mi porque el año pasado había vivido sola. Ahora me alegro de estar compartiendo porque somos como una pequeña gran familia.

¿Tiene algunos pasatiempos fuera del trabajo?¡Claro que si! Los pasatiempos me dan energía y me ayudan a recargar mis pilas. Uno de ellos es la música. Toco el trombón en una de las bandas de música de Abingdon (Abingdon Concert Band). También, me gusta ir al gimnasio y nadar.

¿Dónde vivió en España? ¿Cómo fue?Soy de Madrid y aunque llevo viviendo 3 años en Inglaterra, me considero todavía y siempre madrileña. En Madrid mi familia vive en un barrio cerca del centro con lo cual siempre es muy ruidoso y hay mucho tráfico, pero tienes tiendas, centros comerciales, cines... Sin embargo, a veces echo de menos el continuo ajetreo de Madrid.

¿Qué es el mejor aspecto de la vida en Abingdon?Lo mejor es que, aunque haya más de 900 personas trabajando y estudiando en el colegio, hay un ambiente muy familiar. Todo el mundo tiene una buena palabra, te dice buenos días y se interesan por ti. Además, los alumnos son muy educados, muy correctos y puntuales.

Trabajando y viviendo en Abingdon - ¿cómo es?Es una experiencia increíble. Siempre hay algo que hacer y es muy fácil ocupar tu tiempo libre: puedes ir al gimnasio, a la piscina, estar en la sala de profesores trabajando,... Por eso y por los compañeros, en Abingdon me siento como en mi propia casa.

Laura López

The Polyglot 21Assistants

¿Podría describir las diferencias entre la vida en España y aquí en Inglaterra?Está claro que la primera diferencia es el tiempo. En España tenemos siempre sol. En Inglaterra, me cuesta no ver el sol cada día y levantarme con el cielo gris o la lluvia. En cuanto a Abingdon, es una ciudad pequeña y no hay mucho que hacer. No obstante, tengo un coche y muchas veces cojo el tren para ir a Londres. Por otro lado, la comida inglesa es buena, pero me quedo con la paella y la tortilla de patata de España.

¿Está entusiasmada sobre algo en particular durante su estancia en Inglaterra?Lo que me encanta es salir al campo y disfrutar de los colores. El color verde intenso que hay en Inglaterra no lo hay en Madrid. Me gustaría seguir descubriendo todos los bosques, parques, jardines, castillos y palacios que se encuentran en Oxfordshire.

¿Es muy diferente el sistema de educación Inglesa del sistema en España?Bueno, la educación secundaria es como aquí, el GCSE es muy parecido a la ESO (Educación Secundaria Obligatoria). Por otro lado, el Bachillerato, es decir, A level, es muy diferente. En España, los alumnos eligen diferentes itinerarios: ciencias, letras, artes y/o humanidades y cada itinerario consta de 8 a 10 asignaturas.

¿Opina que la enseñanza es la carrera que quiere perseguir, y porqué?Después de estar trabajando en la enseñanza desde 2007, pienso que es mi carrera. Al principio quería dedicarme solo a la música, pero mis padres no son músicos y no estaban contentos. Así que decidí comenzar mis estudios de magisterio y poder llegar a ser una buena profesora. Ojalá pueda cumplir mi sueño muy pronto de llegar a ser una profesora de Español.

¿Qué es la cosa más difícil a la hora de aprender un idioma?Para mi, el vocabulario. En inglés, no puedo recordar todas las palabras. No obstante, hay que seguir y estudiar, con listas de palabras, rimas, canciones, poemas y más. Y la pronunciación: después de 3 años aquí mi pronunciación sigue siendo muy “Spanglish” - aunque mi acento también es mi marca de identidad.

¿Por último, por qué le encantan las lenguas?Me gusta aprender lenguas porque es una forma de conocer nuevas culturas, tradiciones y sobre todo gente. Además, puedes comunicarte con diferentes personas. Me encanta hablar y soy una chica muy habladora. No cabe duda: aprender de otras culturas, también te enriquece como persona.

• Los niños de entre 4 y 12 años destinan más horas al año a ver televisión (990 horas) que a la escuela (960 horas)Children between 4 and 12 years spend more hours a year watching television (990 hours) than at school (960 hours)

• España es el líder mundial de trasplantes de pelo con tecnología robóticaSpain is the world leader in robotic hair transplant

• Un 85% de los españoles poseen un smartphone

• Después de Singapur (89%), Corea del Sur (88%) y Noruega (87%), España es el cuarto país con mayor penetración de smartphones

• Las llamadas comerciales (la venta por teléfono) y la publicidad en buzones (el buzoneo masivo) son prohibidas en CataluñaCommercial phone calls and mailing leaflets are forbidden in Catalonia, Spain

• Los países del norte de Europa son físicamente más activos que los del sur y el este

• En España la cifra es de 44%: casi uno de cada dos ciudadanos no hace ningún tipo de deporte

• Más de la mitad de los argentinos ha sufrido enfermedades relacionadas con el estrés laboral como pánico, angustia y ansiedad (29,8%) y trastornos gastrointestinales (27,3%)

• España es uno de los países europeos que más días festivos tiene al año (14), el Reino Unido se encuentra con 8Spain is one of the European countries with most public holidays in the year (14), the UK has 8 • Con la aplicación móvil “Alertcops” ciudadanos en España pueden alertar a los cuerpos policiales sobre una situación delictivaWith the app “Alertcops” Spanish citizens can alert the police force about a crime • España es el octavo país europeo en contaminación atmosférica industrialSpain is the 8th biggest polluter of industrial air pollution

Spain Fact File

22 The Polyglot

AssistantsGerman

Assistant Interview

Wie würden Sie sich in einem Satz beschreiben?Ich bin eine Naturliebhaberin, aber vor allem bin ich spontan und abenteuerlustig!

Was machen Sie in Ihrer Freizeit?In meiner Freizeit beschäftige ich mich uberwiegend mit Tanz und Gesang, und ich reise sehr gerne in fremde Länder.

Wo in Deutschland haben Sie bis jetzt gelebt? Wie war es dort?Ich habe in Deutschland die meiste Zeit in Enger gelebt. Jedoch habe ich auch fur drei Jahre in Hamburg gewohnt und Hamburg ist eine Stadt an der Elbe. Es gibt dort viel Wasser und Hamburg ist deswegen sehr vielseitig. Man kann in Hamburg viel erleben.

Was sind die Unterschiede zwischen Ihrem Leben in Deutschland und hier in England?Die Leute hier sind anders als in Deutschland. Das Essen hier ist gewohnungsbedurftig, denn in Deutschland isst man nur eine warme Mahlzeit. Jedoch fuhle ich mich sehr wohl hier und die Landschaft ist ganz toll und beeindruckend.

Was wissen Sie schon über Abingdon und Oxford?In Oxford gibt es verschiedene Colleges. Oxford ist eine schone, historische Stadt mit vielen Einkaufsmoglichkeiten. Abingdon hingegen ist sehr klein, aber dadurch sehr gemutlich und liegt an der Themse.

Wie können Sie Ihre ersten Wochen in Abingdon School zusammenfassen?Die ersten Wochen hier in Abingdon waren anstrengend und es war vieles so neu, aber trotzdem spannend und lehrreich. Ich habe viele nette Menschen kennengelernt.

Können Sie den typischen Abingdon Schüler beschreiben?Der typische Junge an der Abingdon School trägt eine Uniform, ist sehr hoflich und diszipliniert. Die meisten sind sportlich sehr aktiv und jeder besitzt ein besonderes Talent, ob in Musik, Kunst oder im Sport.

Wie gefällt Ihnen Ihre Unterkunft?Meine Unterkunft ist direkt an der Schule. Ich wohne in Whitefields. Mein Zimmer ist toll, wenn nur die Spinnen nicht wären!

Was für Erfahrungen möchten Sie hier sammeln?Ich mochte einfach in einem der Länder leben, dessen

Nez Önen

• Mehrals25MillionenDeutschesindaktiveNutzerauf Facebook

• KarlLagerfeldhataufReisenimmereinigeseinermehr als siebzig iPods und iPhones dabei. Fur die Geräte entwarf er eigene Schutzhullen

• Nurin9%derDDR-HaushaltegabeeseinTelefon

• Düsseldorfistmit7000Japanerndiedrittgrößtejapanische Enklave Europas

• DeutschistAmtsspracheinDeutschland,Österreich, Schweiz, Lichtenstein, Luxemburg, Belgien und Italien • Inder41-jährigenGeschichtederDDRgabeskeinen erfolgreichen Bankuberfall (bank robbery) • AngelaMerkelwolltealsKindEiskunstläuferin(figure skater) werden • InDeutschlandgibtes1349Brauereien(breweries) • McDonald’sbetreibteineunternehmenseigeneHamburger - Universität, an der man den Titel “Bachelor of Hamburgerology” erwerben kann • EineOktoberfestbedienungläuftrund9Kilometerpro Tag • 31MillionenMenscheninDeutschlandwohneninEigentumsimmobilienBorisBeckerheißtmitzweitemVornamen Franz • ImDezember1990öffneteinPlauen(Sachsen)die erste ostdeutsche McDonald’s - Filliale • FranzBeckenbauerhatschonfürsechsverschiedene Automarken geworben • AlsSechszehnjährigerschlugArnoldSchwarzenegger das Fenster eines Kraftraums ein, damit er auch am Wochenende trainieren konnte • DasWort“Schilderwald”kannmaninkeineandere Sprache ubersetzen.

• TürkeninDeutschlandessendoppeltsovielJoghurt wie Deutsche.

• DerReggaesängerGentlemanheißtinWirklichkeitTilmann Otto.

Germany Fact File

Vocabein/e Naturliebhaber/in = eine Person, die die Natur liebtabenteuerlustig = adventurousder Gesang – singenvielseitig: versatilegewohnungsbedurftig: requiring getting used toeine Mahlzeit = ein Essenbeeindruckend: impressivedie Einkaufsmoglichkeit: shopping facilitygemutlich: cosyanstrengend: exhaustinglehrreich = man lernt vielhoflich: politebesitzen = habenWenn nur die Spinnen nicht wären!: If it wasn’t for the spiders!die Lebensweise = der Lifestyleder Fluchtling; the refugeedie Schulart: Secondary level can consist of Hauptschule (years 5-9 or 10), Realschule (years 5-10) or Gymnasium (years 5-12/13). When they finish Secondary level, students can obtain a leaving certificate and de-pending on what grade they obtain, they can then start work, do vocational training, go to a vocational school, or continue in / transfer to a Gymnasium in order to obtain the Abitur (A-Levels).sich trauen etwas zu tun: to dare to do somethingsich verständigen = kommunizieren

Sprache ich später unterrichten werde. Damit ich die Kultur und die Lebensweise der Menschen in England kennenlernen darf und Erfahrungen vor Ort sammeln kann.

Haben Sie bereits Unterrichtserfahrung?Ich habe an einem Gymnasium fur ein Jahr Englisch und Biologie unterrichtet. Auch Deutsch habe ich unterrichtet, an einer Hauptschule, als Fluchtlinge aus dem Irak nach Deutschland kamen.

Möchten Sie Lehrer werden - wenn ja warum, wenn nein, warum nicht?Ja, ich mochte Lehrerin werden, weil ich gerne mit KindernarbeiteundSprachenunterrichtenmirgroßenSpaßmacht.

Inwiefern ist das Schulsystem anders in Deutschland?Sprachen werden in Deutschland fruh unterrichtet. Es wird schon im Kindergarten damit angefangen. Auch gibt es unterschiedliche Schularten nach der Grundschule, zum Beispiel Hauptschule, Realschule und Gymnasium.

Erfüllt England bis jetzt Ihre Ewartungen?Bis jetzt sind alle meine Erwartungen erfullt worden, obwohl ich noch nicht so lange hier bin. Ich bin total gespannt, was noch kommt.

Was für besondere Pläne haben Sie für Ihren Aufenthalt hier in England? Es gibt viele Regionen zu entdecken. Z.B. mochte ich nach Bristol und London, und ich mochte mir die Universitäten hier anschauen.

15. What other languages do you speak, and which new ones would you like to learn and why?

Welche Sprachen sprechen Sie, welche würden Sie gerne noch lernen und warum?Ich spreche schon Kurdisch, Turkisch, Franzosisch, Englisch und naturlich Deutsch!

Was ist das Schwierigste daran eine neue Sprache zu lernen?Sich zu trauen in der Fremdsprache zu reden, obwohl man sie noch nicht perfekt spricht.

Warum mögen Sie Fremdsprachen?Ich mag Sprachen, weil man nicht nur die Sprache lernt, sondern auch die Kultur und Leute kennenlernt. Man kann sich in vielen Ländern verständigen. Sprachen machen Vieles moglich.

The Polyglot 23Culture

24 The Polyglot

Assistants

Marion Fourrier

Qu’est ce que vous voulez accomplir pendant votre travail ici à Abingdon?J’aimerais progresser dans l’enseignement,

et voir si je suis vraiment capable d’être une bonne professeure de français.

Qu’est-ce que vous savez d’Abingdon?Je sais que c’est au bord de la Tamise et que c’est une petite ville près d’Oxford.

Comment avez-vous découvert Abingdon ?J’ai eu une interview avec Mme Mansfield avec mon université en France et comme ça j’ai découvert le collège d’Abingdon.

Pourriez-vous vous décrire en une phrase?Je pense je suis ouverte d’esprit, et … c’est difficile à dire … j’aime beaucoup voyager.

Est-ce que vous avez d’expérience de l’enseignement ?C’est ma première année en tant que vraie enseignante mais l’année dernière je donnais des cours particuliers d’anglais en France.

L’Angleterre répond à vos attentes?Oui, j’aime beaucoup l’Angleterre donc ça me plaît vraiment. C’est très différent – je suis ravie!

C’est comment, votre logement?Mon logement, alors … Je partage une maison avec Alix et deux autres professeurs; c’est une grande maison, et pour l’instant tout se passe bien.

Qu’est-ce que vous aimez faire pendant votre temps libre?J’aime beaucoup faire du shopping, sortir avec mes amis, voyager et découvrir des nouveaux endroits, regarder des films…

Vous avez habité où en France? Comment c’était?J’habite à Reims, c’est dans le nord-est de la France. (What can I say?) Je suis content de partir !

Quel est le meilleur aspect de la vie à Abingdon ?Je pense que c’est une petite ville, donc on peut faire tout à pied on peut aller aux magasins à pied, on peut aller se promener – c’est pratique.

Comment se sont passées vos premières semaines au collège Abingdon?Très enrichissant – c’est un nouveau mode de vie, un nouveau travail, donc plein de choses à découvrir… très intéressant.

Pourriez-vous décrire les différences entre la vie en France et ici en Angleterre ?Alors, la première différence, je pense que les gens ici sont beaucoup plus serviables, plus aimables, sont moins renfermés. Une grande différence ici - vous mangez tôt le soir, donc à sept heures/six heures… en

France c’est plus huit heures. Finalement, les magasins sont ouverts le dimanche - c’est super ! En France tout est fermé le dimanche.

Est-ce que vous êtes excités à faire quelque chose en particulier pendant votre séjour en Angleterre ?J’aimerais voyager en Angleterre.

Il est très différent le système d’éducation Anglaise du système en France?Oui, très différent ; ici les élèves ont beaucoup plus de choix d’activités, ils ont les cours, et après beaucoup de sport, la musique, le théâtre. En France, il y a du sport mais pas autant. Vous avez beaucoup plus de choix ici.

Est-ce que l’enseignement est votre travail idéal et pourquoi?Oui, je pense que être professeure pour moi serait le travail idéal, parce que j’aime enseigner, j’aime donner envie aux élèves de continuer d’apprendre le français, et je pense que ce n’est pas du tout répétitif, c’est toujours différent.

Quel est la partie la plus difficile quand on apprend une langue?Le vocabulaire je dirais, mais aussi on ne peut pas parler couramment en traduisant dans sa tête.

Enfin, pourquoi adorez-vous les langues?J’adore apprendre une langue parce que je trouve que c’est très utile. On apprend tous les jours, c’est la connaissance qui ne s’arrête jamais. Chaque jour j’apprends des nouveaux mots.

French Assistants Interviews

The Polyglot 25Assistants

Qu’est ce que vous voulez accomplir pendant votre travail ici à Abingdon?J’aimerais avoir de l’expérience, être plus

organisée (je ne suis pas très organisée), et améliorer la façon dont je parle. Faire apprendre le français et enseigner me fait aussi progresser.

Qu’est-ce que vous savez d’Abingdon et d’Oxford?Je sais qu’il y a 30,000 habitants… il y a une rivière, c’est à vingt minutes d’Oxford…je suis allée au musée d’Abingdon.

Comment avez-vous découvert Abingdon?Comme Marion, j’ai eu une interview sur Skype avec Mme Mansfield, oui, je l’ai découvert comma ça.

Pourriez-vous vous décrire en une phrase?Je pense que je suis … sympa (Marion: oui), gentille, mais par contre pas du tout organisée !

Est-ce que vous avez d’expérience de l’enseignement?Non, jamais, c’est ma première expérience.

L’Angleterre répond à vos attentes?Oui, pour l’instant, tout c’est bien passé.

C’est comment, votre logement?

C’est une grande maison près de l’école ; c’est très calme, et je vis avec deux autres professeurs.

Qu’est-ce que vous aimez faire pendant votre temps libre?Je fais de la musique, de l’accordéon. Sinon, je sors en ville avec mes amis.

Vous avez habité où en France? Comment c’était?Des mes études j’habitais à Reims et le weekend je rentrais chez mes parents dans les Ardennes à Charleville-Mézières – c’est une petite ville. C’est mignon mais il n‘y a pas beaucoup de choses à faire.

Quel est le meilleur aspect de la vie à Abingdon?Oui, comme Marion a dit c’et la proximité ; on peut marcher aux magasins et on peut prendre le bus pour aller à Oxford.

Comment se sont passées vos premières semaines au collège Abingdon?Très bien, j’ai découvert plusieurs choses, pour la première fois j’ai enseigné, et donc pour la première fois j’ai travaillé avec les élèves. J’ai découvert le système d’éducation anglais.

Pourriez-vous décrire les différences entre la vie en France et ici en Angleterre?La nourriture ! Il n’y a pas de fromage, de baguette. Il y a moins de cours dans la journée ; Les élèves en France quittent à six heures, c’est une journée plus grande en France.

Est-ce que vous êtes excités à faire quelque chose en particulier pendant votre séjour en Angleterre ?Je veux voyager et essayer de découvrir d’autres villes dans les environs.

Il est très différent le système d’éducation Anglaise du Système en France?Oui, je trouve que les élèves sont plus respectueux avec les professeurs ; par exemple, ici, les élèves disent ‘merci’ à la fin d’un cours, mais en France, pas du tout, les élèves s’en vont ! De plus ils sont plus sympa – je préfère le système anglais !

Est-ce que l’enseignement est votre travail idéal et pourquoi?Je sais pas encore, si ça me plaît je vais peut-être continuer, mais si ça me plaît pas du tout, non!

Quel est le part le plus difficile d’apprendre une langue?C’est parler couramment la langue, et pour ça le seul moyen c’est voyager – plus on voyage, plus on parle et plus on apprend en fait.

Enfin, pourquoi adorez-vous les langues?Pour le travail, c’est toujours un plus. Parler une autre langue, ça me permet une ouverture d’esprit et on peut découvrir des cultures.

Alix Weyd

Contributors

Hector Stinton

Regina Engel-Hart

Ollie Sayeed

Alexandra von Widdern

Alex Gatenby

Teddy Curtis

Edward Turner-Fussel

Max Townley

Nez Önen

Laura López

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POLYGLOTIssue 1

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