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Modern Languages Staff and the reasons why we love languages!

Mrs S Manson – PT (Subject)

My Grannie was Austrian and a German teacher, so I grew up eating a variety of tasty Austrian meals and German has always been an important part of my life. I first went to Germany on a school exchange and have never forgotten the excitement of experiencing a new culture. Back in school, my German teacher was inspiring and encouraged me to study Translation and Interpreting at University and go and live abroad for a year. When I graduated, I trained to be a teacher and now work to share my love of German and of language learning.

Ms C Forrest – 

 

 

 

 

Ms Edith Guo (visiting Mandarin teacher from Tianjin High School)

Mr M Hodgson

With languages, you are at home anywhere

Languages were not originally my chosen path in life. I went to university to study Environmental Science and somehow ended up becoming a languages teacher. I am still so happy to this day that life led me here. I love my job and I love languages. Without languages I would not have met some of the most amazing people in my life; without languages I would not have travelled to some amazing places; without languages my life might not have been enriched by other cultures, music, literature, art, food to the extent that it has been.

Ms S Jia (Visiting Teacher from Tianjin No. 2 High School)

 

 

 

 

Miss C Lindsay

I first got really interested in China through a Hong Kong film called Mr.Vampire, with hopping zombies and silly humour!  Chinese writing has always fascinated me, and the way the language works is so interesting when compared to English, which I also love.  I like buying my favourite English language books in the Chinese editions and I mostly listen to Chinese rock and pop music. I lived in Taiwan for five years and consider it my second home.

Mrs V Smith

My first experience of France was a 3-month stay in Normandy at the age of 18. The family I stayed with introduced me to the country, its culture and helped me improve my French. I visited Paris, went windsurfing, ate lobster and enjoyed all their long Sunday lunches. Their animated debate around the table, their inclusion of all family members old and young and of course some fantastic food gave me an insight into a way of life that I love.

Ms J Vivier

Bonjour! I have always been interested in languages as France shares a lot of borders with other European countries but it might have started when I was 4 when the P7 class had to dance to Scotland the Brave. When I was 9, my teacher retired and she gave me a French-English dictionary she found when tidying her classroom, so I guess my interest in the English language comes from these wee moments in my life. After studying English, German and Italian I decided to come to Scotland for 9 months as a French language assistant and have stayed ever since.

Mrs K Scally 

Mrs V Smith