National finals are spelled out for Perse pupils

Isobel and Liz (both Year 7) showcased speed and skill in qualifying for the Foreign Language Spelling Bee.

They have reached the finals of the competition, which take place at Cambridge University in July, after winning the Spanish and French categories respectively in the regional finals at Cambourne Village College.

Even to get to the regional finals was no mean feat, having already prevailed through two previous rounds, while trying to memorise an increasing number of words in their respective languages and attempting to spell as many words as possible correctly in one minute.

Isobel was thrilled to make it through to the national finals, adding that her parents and brother had been very supportive in helping her practise her Spanish words for each round so far.

She said: “We must learn 300 words for the national finals, but although it can be a bit stressful, it’s also fun to do.

“It’s been very useful as it’s given me a lot of extra vocabulary, and Spanish is a very nice language to learn.

“I’ve got a little while to learn the new words before the finals and hopefully I’ll do well, but I just enjoy learning languages because I feel you can communicate with so many more people and it gives you a new way of looking at the world.”

Meanwhile, native Spanish speaker Liz is looking forward to highlighting her flair for French at the national finals.

She said: “Each round has got progressively harder, but I think speaking Spanish has made some French words a bit easier to learn because they are both in the same language family so there are some similarities.

“However, when I went up for my turn to spell words in the last round, I felt I was going a lot slower than I was. I saw people going very fast, so I thought I hadn’t done as many as them.

“I’m very excited about the national finals and it’s going to be great fun. Although I’m not sure how I’ll do, if I can get in the top five or top 10, I would be pleased.”