Saint Paul’s Pupils Visit the Magical Christmas Markets < < BACK

A group of our pupils who had recently arrived in the UK from overseas, were invited to experience the Manchester Christmas Markets as a reward for their amazing learning and integration progress in such a short time at the school.

The pupils prepared in advance for the trip; they studied the map of the markets and learned the vocabulary associated with buying and selling so that they could practice it in real life at the markets. They then headed off to Manchester’s world famous Christmas Markets where they were able to wander through the chalet-lined streets of the markets, each one having its own distinct character and atmosphere.

As the Christmas Markets are located in different spaces around the city, the pupils had to use their map reading skills to find them. There was an array of over 300 stalls, with mouthwatering delicacies from all over Europe. The European and local producers offered everything from fine amber jewellery, handcrafted leather bags, and top quality bonsai trees, to Dutch cheeses, French breads, and Spanish chorizo.

Ms Valentina Spyropoulou, from Saint Paul’s, said: “This really benefitted the pupils as it was a real-life experience of interacting in English in a context out of school. The pupils had the chance to see, taste and smell traditional English goodies such as tea and breakfast beans. They also had the chance to see different items and food coming from different parts of the world. They were practicing English, having fun, enjoying themselves and the Christmas spirit and atmosphere, while at the same time they were sharing their experiences from their countries. It was a fun multicultural language and goodie celebration!”

Mrs Fiona Minshall, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s, added: “The pupils were able to soak up the atmosphere of a truly international event with a uniquely Mancunian flavour. They were able to practice their English and develop their relationships with each other and their teachers. They had a fantastic time and came back to school with many stories to tell about what they had seen, tasted, smelt or heard.”

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