School children from across Sheffield recently took part in a 'Language Sports Day' at the English Institute of Sport. The event, organised by Sheffield Hallam University saw schoolchildren compete in sporting competitions using a second language to help prepare them for the business world. The winners also got the opportunity to meet their own Olympic idol, diver Leon Taylor, at the event.
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The sports day included fun and interactive activities that were designed to link sport and languages together. Activities ranged from an assault course where children led a blindfolded partner using another language, to creating posters to promote the benefits of hosting major sporting competitions, such as the Olympics or Commonwealth Games, to people in other countries.
Matthew Hunt, from the Sheffield Business School at Sheffield Hallam, said: "Sport offers us so many opportunities to encourage the use of languages in a fun and team focused environment. Communication is vital in sport and by challenging young people to learn new skills we can channel their enthusiasm for sport into an interest in languages. The sports day setting helped the participants understand that sport is a multi-national industry and that it can be beneficial for people working in the industry to have knowledge of another language.
Cathy Vaughan, from the University's Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, said: "This is a great opportunity to highlight the benefits of hosting the Olympics Games in the UK and to get the children excited about the opportunities this offers to be part of a multi-lingual and multi-national global community."
For more news about Olympics and Paralympics-inspired projects in Sheffield, visit www.sheffield-lightingtheflame.com