Annual Report 2023 Entire Book - Flipbook - Page 130
These new resources, as well as the
addition of a new sponsored prize in the
form of a trip for the Champion Team and
two supporting teachers to the European
Commission in Brussels, were a great
incentive for increased student ownership
in a significantly more crowded student
schedule than in previous years.
A full communication programme with
schools continued from September to
December, informing them of registration
deadlines, new partner offerings, resource
availability and competition details.
Resources and downloadable supports were shared on the Languages Connect website. Participating schools
were sent printed starter packs including the Handbook and promotional posters, as well as full event kits
customised for the number of participating students in the school.
Online Information Sessions and Communities of Practice were also held in September and October to
inform teachers and provide an opportunity to share ideas. For those who could not attend these meetings, a
series of #ThinkLanguages Teacher Tips videos were filmed, in which advice was shared on various aspects of
how to organise the festival. These were housed on the website as well as pushed out through social media.
Opening ceremony
The 2023 Opening Ceremony once again had an inspiring mix of speakers sharing their language learning
journeys and explaining how languages had furthered their careers and enhanced their lives. Dancing with
the Stars professional Ervinas Merfeldas, who has Lithuanian parents, spoke about the benefits of maintaining
his home language and also taking it for the Leaving Cert. TikToker Ciara Walsh, whose decision to participate
in Erasmus influenced the direction of her life and resulted in her finding a job in Italy, and James Maher, who
is a senior policy advisor at the European Parliament, provided an insight into their experience with
languages and into how languages have impacted their lives and careers.
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- PPLI ANNUAL REPORT 2023 -
