Languages Week 2026: Many Languages, One Community

There are weeks in a school calendar that simply happen and then there are weeks that change the atmosphere of the whole College. Languages Week 2026 was one of those weeks.

Under this year’s theme, Many Languages, One Community, the College came alive with colour, music, food, stories, competition and conversation. More importantly, it became a week where Languages were not just taught; they were shared, experienced and celebrated.

Across Junior and Senior School, students stepped beyond the classroom and used language in ways that felt real, social and memorable. There were performances, quizzes, cultural activities, language challenges, food experiences and plenty of opportunities for students to learn from one another.

One of the most heart-warming moments came through storytelling. Senior Italian and French students shared fairy tales with younger students in Years 1 and 6, bringing language and culture to life in a completely different setting. Seeing older students confidently share their knowledge with younger students created a wonderful sense of connection across the College and captured the spirit of Languages Week beautifully.

Of course, no Languages Week would be complete without food.

Italian flavours featured strongly throughout the week, and our Year 10 Italian students turned gelato into something even more meaningful, running a fundraiser in support of LifeLink. It was a simple but powerful example of culture, community and service coming together and judging by the enthusiasm around the sale, a very popular one too.

There was also plenty of energy on the sporting front, with the Teachers vs Students futsal matches bringing friendly rivalry, teamwork and a very enthusiastic crowd. The games gave students another opportunity to take ownership of the week and helped create a real sense of fun around the College.

Our senior Languages students were also invited to look beyond school and towards the future. We were delighted to welcome Simon Tebbit from UWA, who spoke with students about university pathways and the opportunities that continuing a language can create. His visit was a valuable reminder that Languages can open doors academically, professionally and personally — and that the journey does not need to end at Year 12.

Music added another layer to the celebration, helping create a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere throughout the week, while the College-wide Languages Quiz brought out everyone’s competitive side. Congratulations to 8 De Vialar, who took out the 2026 title with an impressive 18 out of 20 correct answers. Bravissimi! Félicitations!

Languages Week also left something behind that will continue long after the celebrations have finished.

A new Languages Book Collection has been introduced in the school library, giving students another way to explore language and culture beyond the classroom. The response has already been extremely positive, with students browsing, borrowing and engaging with the collection. It is a wonderful addition to the College and a lasting reminder that language learning can happen anywhere.

What made the week truly special, however, was the people behind it.

Students embraced the activities with enthusiasm, staff supported the week generously, and many people worked quietly behind the scenes to help ideas become reality. From storytelling and sport to fundraising, music, food and future pathways, every contribution helped create something bigger than any single activity.

That is perhaps the most important message of Languages Week.

Learning another language is not only about vocabulary, grammar or assessment. It is about understanding others, seeing the world from a different perspective, building confidence and creating connections across cultures and generations.

For one week, those ideas were visible everywhere in classrooms, corridors, stories, music, food, books, sport and plenty of smiles.

Grazie, merci and thank you to everyone who helped make Languages Week 2026 such a memorable celebration.

Many Languages, One Community and what a wonderful community it is.

Ciao,

Simona Arcieri on behalf of the Languages Team