The importance of learning a second language has been widely discussed and accepted. Currently, there is a groundswell in schools to embrace learning another language as a compulsory subject, but sadly as yet, this option is far from reality for many students in Aotearoa New Zealand. In a modern world, where language helps to build bridges and bring down walls, this trend is increasingly worrying.

Kristin School has long bucked the trend in terms of language learning, and all students from Junior School through to the end of Middle School learn a second language as a compulsory subject. Many then continue this learning through to Senior School and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

The professional advantage of speaking second languages in a globalised world is clearly understood, as is the use of a second language as a vehicle for cultural understanding. However, beyond this enhanced cultural awareness and increased professional opportunities, learning a second language helps students begin to establish links between subjects which would not otherwise be evident. To illustrate this; the word “money” in French is “argent” which means silver, and the chemical symbol for the element silver is Ag which is an abbreviation of the word “Argento” which, again, is Latin for silver. These connections become apparent and start being made, almost automatically, when a language is learnt. The establishment of connections both enriches and facilitates the learning of other subjects.

We know that pronunciation is one of the most challenging things to master when learning another language because languages have phonetic complexity. If students are not sufficiently exposed to the different phonetic nuances, they find it very hard to distinguish between the different sounds. Spanish, for example, is a highly phonetic language where there are only five vowel sounds which are always the same and never change. English, on the other hand, has 14 vowel sounds which vary depending on the meaning of the word being used, so the word “tear”, for example, can have a completely different pronunciation as a noun if you mean to shed a tear or tear a dress. This makes English particularly challenging to learn as a foreign language and Spanish easier. To be able to hear these different sounds, students need to be exposed to them regularly and early. At Kristin all our language teachers are mother tongue speakers and students have regular opportunities to converse in the language.

At Kristin, we recognise the many advantages of being multilingual and multicultural.  All our students experience Te Reo Māori and we are currently investigating the introduction of Te Reo Māori as a full language option, alongside Mandarin, Spanish and French.  We have established links with outstanding schools in Shanghai, Beijing, Paris and Buenos Aires offering highly successful school exchanges, and we look forward to the resumption of these in post-Covid-19 times. We also take advantage of the multiculturalism of our community with over 40 different nationalities and cultures represented at Kristin and our native speaker staff and parents offer language sessions. 

Dave Scott

Middle School Principal