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QE’s youngest linguists put their newly acquired skills to the test in a high-speed House competition.

Teams from QE’s six Houses competed to translate five sentences into French and then five into German both quickly and accurately.

Each Year 7 form put forward a team made up of three or four boys. First place went to Pearce, with team members Ameen Elamin, Kyle Goldband, Tuhin Mitra and Nittant Moudgil scoring an emphatic victory.

Languages teacher and Head of Extra-Curricular Enrichment Rebecca Grundy said: “The competition was a ‘running translation’ which means that there is a text to translate, but split into sentences.

“They all got the first sentence at the same time and, as soon as they had translated it, they brought it to the teacher. If it was perfect, they got the next sentence, but if not, they had to go back and try again. The first team to finish the entire text was the winner –and that was Pearce, who won by quite a margin!

“They were allowed to use their text books to help, as the ‘vocab’ we used was taken from the Year 7 course, but the sentences were pitched to be extra-challenging, particularly in terms of grammatical structures.”

Here are a few examples of the challenges the boys faced:

• Translate: ‘He has long hair and blue eyes’. This tested boys’ knowledge of French adjective endings (‘Il a les cheveux longs et les yeux bleus.’)
• Translate: ‘In my free time, I read, but on Saturdays my brother does judo.’ Testing positioning of German verbs (‘In meiner Freizeit lese ich…’)
• Translate: ‘My brother is called Max and he has a computer.’ Testing the German accusative case (‘…er hat einen Computer.’)

Harrisons’ took the runner-up spot in the competition, which was organised by the Languages department, while Broughton and Underne shared third place.

“All the boys showed fantastic enthusiasm – but remained very well behaved – and so will receive a merit each,” said Miss Grundy.

Sixth-former Vineeth Rajan’s presentation on Indian linguistics has been announced as the winner in a national video essay competition run by the Cambridge Language Collective.

The collective – a collaborative blog written and produced by Cambridge University linguists – awarded Vineeth joint first prize in the senior individual category for his closely argued seven-minute film entitled Retroflexes: The linguistics of South Asia.

Danylo Gutsulyak, of Year 10, was awarded joint-second place in the junior individual category for his entry entitled Das Lagerfeuer, while two other QE boys – Year 10’s Darren Lee and Tejas Bansal, of Year 9 – were also shortlisted.

QE’s Head of Languages, Nora Schlatte, said: “My congratulations go to all our successful entrants and especially to Vineeth on his submission, which was not only impeccably researched, but also very attractively presented.”

Vineeth, of Year 12, put the video together over the first half of the Easter holidays, articulating his argument throughout with his hand-drawn illustrations, and making extensive use of time-lapse photography.

He described it as a “deep dive” into the history, phonology and sociolinguistics of retroflexes, which are the distinctive sounds that are formed by curling the tongue back behind the upper jaw’s alveolar ridge. It is, he says, a topic that has long fascinated him.

Vineeth explored the various academic theories about the origins of these sounds and how they developed. He looked at why retroflexes are common across hundreds of different languages throughout the Indian sub-continent, yet are relatively rare in other parts of the world.

He acknowledged that anyone seeking to track the origin and development of sounds faced a harder challenge than linguists tracking the written language, pointing out that all the theories he was explaining about retroflexes were necessarily speculative: “Although words can be securely etymologised to one source over another, phonological influence is often harder to trace back.”

After setting out the history, he took a look at the present-day situation, mentioning the “characteristic Indian English sound that Apu [from TV’s The Simpsons] is perhaps notorious for today” and how people have adjusted the way they speak to “try and elevate themselves from this lowly regarded pronunciation”.

Vineesh concluded: “This is what is amazing about retroflexes: the profound impact that they have on the complex sociology of south Asia, spreading across the tongues of people from a diversity of cultures, religions and backgrounds in a way that nothing else possibly could….Retroflexes seem to bind all of south Asia together. Despite making us seem homogenous and often risible to the western world, [their] history can give us a glimpse into the complex interactions between diverse cultures thousands of years ago.”

Vineeth, who aspires to be a biochemist and geneticist, published the video on his own YouTube channel, Genespeak, which focuses on both biochemistry and linguistics.

 

A national French debating competition is to become an annual fixture in the QE calendar after two Sixth Form teams showed the way with strong performances.

With only a week’s notice, Anshul Sajip and Zeke Essex, of Year 13, and Awad Shah and Vineeth Rajan, of Year 12, volunteered for QE’s first appearance in the Joutes Oratoires*.

In the debates, which were held virtually after school hours, the QE linguists had both to defend and to oppose three motions, covering civil liberties, the environment and artificial intelligence.

Congratulating them for their enthusiastic participation in the event organised in this region by St Paul’s Girls’ School, Languages Assistant Joelle Simpson, said: “The motions would not be altogether easy to support or defend in English, let alone in the French language!

“Both teams received strong scores throughout, and Awad and Vineeth won two out of three of their debates,” said Mme Simpson, who prepared the teams.

“They all found the experience a very valuable one and blazed a trail for future cohorts. Thanks to them, the event will become an annual feature in the QE calendar.”

Unfortunately, with 39 teams competing in the London region and only eight able to proceed, the two QE teams did not reach the next round.

The three motions were:

1. Governments should have leeway to limit individual liberties in times of health crises
2. Green economic growth is an illusion
3. Artificial Intelligence is a threat for humanity.

QE’s Head of Languages, Nora Schlatte, was a member of the jury, and saw Vineeth and Awad in action. “Their research, poise and accuracy of language were amazing,” she said “Vineeth’s opening speech was described as ‘un modèle du genre’ [a model of its kind] and both boys responded very well to some challenging questions. Participating in something like this, especially remotely, is really daunting and they did brilliantly.”

* The term joutes oratoires dates back to the Middle Ages in France, when jouteurs (literally ‘jousters’) would duel in verse.

 

Linguists from every year took part in a new QE competition named after a well-known literary translator.

In the Anthea Bell Translation Competition, the Languages department invited pupils to translate a poem from either French or German into English. A separate list of winners was announced for both languages.

Anthea Bell, who died in 2018, translated works including Franz Kafka’s The Castle, but is best known for translating the Asterix comic books from French.

Through the competition, the Languages department aimed to develop boys’ sensitivity towards language and to think about the role of a translator. Teachers also encouraged boys to reflect on the importance of poetry in our everyday lives and to consider the themes covered in the poems. Boys in Years 8 & 9 were, for example, given poems to translate which dealt with racial inequality, thus sparking consideration of news topics such as the Black Lives Matter movement.

Languages teacher Katrin Hood, pictured last term with Year 12 German winner, Siddhant Kansal, said: “It has been fantastic to see how brilliantly the boys have engaged with the resources provided. We have had fascinating conversations in class about how to translate rhyme, how to choose the right word when you have many different ones available, and how to conserve the overall effect of a poem.

“The boys’ competition entries were of an incredibly high standard and they should be very proud of their outstanding work.”

The competition materials were supplied by The Queen’s College, Oxford, which this term plans to invite up to 50 schools to take part in a new national competition named after Anthea Bell.

The year group challenges, and the respective winners, were as follows:

• Year 7 French – making shape poems inspired by the work of Guillaume Apollinaire. Winner: Jeevan Karthick Thiyagarajan
• Year 7 German – making shape poems inspired by the work of Reinhard Döhl. Winner: Nayan Santheepan
• Year 8 & 9 French – translating Marc Alexandre Oho Bambe’s Winners: Edward Muscat, Year 8; Hadi Al-Esia, Year 9
• Year 8 & 9 German – translating May Ayim’s Abschied. Winners: Tanush Gupta, Year 8; Chanakya Seetharam, Year 9
• Year 10 & 11 French – translating Paul Éluard’s Liberté. Winners: Darren Lee, Year 10; Theo Mama-Kahn, Year 11
• Year 10 & 11 German – translating Goethe’s Willkommen und Abschied. Winners: Arjun Patel, Year 10; Olly Salter, Year 11
• Sixth Form French – translating Loubaki’s France Amour. Winners: Zeke Essex, Year 13
• Sixth Form German – translating May Ayim’s deutschland im herbst. Winners: Siddhant Kansal, Year 12.

Year 8 German winner Tanush, who is pictured, top, with Year 8 French winner, Edward Muscat, said: “I really enjoyed the challenge of translating the poem, because at first, it appears to have jumbled-up words, but after rearranging them, the poem starts to make sense.

“The poem was very heart-touching and made me think more about how precious life is – which someone only finds out when they have very little time left.”

Darren, the Year 10 French winner, pictured left, added: “It was a fun and interesting experience that helped push me beyond the curriculum.”

Tanush and Darren’s translations are set out below, with Tanush’s first.

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what should the last words be

farewell,

see you again

sometime, somewhere?

what should the last deed be

one last letter

a phone call

a quiet song?

what should the last wish be

forgive me

don’t forget me

I love you?

what should the last thought be

thank you?

thank you.

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In the embroidered strings of gold,

In the war’s unbridled hold,

Engraved into king’s crown of old,

I shall write your name

In horizon’s tranquil plain,

And in the bird’s forbearing claim,

And in the mill’s dusky remains,

I shall write your name

And on the land’s beaten trails,

A network of sprawling scale,

And in the square of many tales,

I shall write your name

Etched into my untainted skin,

Written on my companions’ grin,

On every reaching hand with,

I shall write your name

While waves of health come rolling back,

While burning risk just fades to black,

His hopeful grin begins to crack,

I will write your name.

Old boy and QE poet-in-residence Anthony Anaxagorou has spoken out against this week’s Government announcement that poetry will become optional in next year’s GCSE English examinations.

Anthony was quoted by the BBC in its report on reaction to the announcement from examinations watchdog Ofqual, while his fellow Old Elizabethan, George the Poet (George Mpanga 2002–2009), was also pictured and mentioned in the article.

And Headmaster Neil Enright said today: “Poetry is, and will remain, core to the curriculum at QE. Throughout last term’s remote learning, staff ensured that poetry kept its important place in lessons delivered through our eQE virtual learning platform.

“We also found that encouraging boys to compose their own poems was a very stimulating, creative activity for the lockdown. And prior to the pandemic, Anthony’s workshops were always a popular draw for the boys.”

Ofqual originally proposed that there would be no changes to the English literature GCSE examination in 2021, but, following a consultation in which some respondents argued that it was hard for pupils “to get to grips with complex literary texts remotely”, the organisation has now said schools can focus on a smaller number of texts.

All pupils will have to write about a Shakespeare play, but they can choose two out of the three remaining content areas: poetry; the 19th-century novel and post-1914 British fiction and drama.

In response, Anthony (OE 1994–1999) said: “Poetry shouldn’t be regarded as an analytical exercise, a response to memory, a means of introducing literary device. Poems do so much more, getting into spaces [and] subjects other modes of language can’t.

“Presenting it as an ‘option’ does nothing but reduce its cultural value more.”

During the Summer Term, School departments including English and Modern Languages ran a number of poetry competitions, and boys’ poems were published in The Arabella – a magazine featuring the work of pupils which is published by the boys.

Teachers found ways to teach poetry remotely, with, for example, the English department making extensive use of pre-recorded video with Year 12 classes, particularly for challenging passages in Shakespeare, Chaucer and the poetry of Wilfred Owen.

Pupils in Year 8 and 9 French classes drew inspiration from a poem about racism in a lockdown poetry competition.

The starting point for the contest was a poem attributed to the 20th-century Senegalese poet and statesman, Léopold Sédar Senghor, entitled Poème à mon frère blanc (Poem to my white brother).

The boys could either produce an English translation of the poem, their own poem inspired by the message of the original, or a commentary on the poem, with an analysis of the meaning and style.

French teacher Rebecca Grundy said: “We encouraged the boys to research the recent headlines about the Black Lives Matter movement in order to give their work a modern, updated twist. We were delighted with the way that they managed to take Senghor’s poem as inspiration while also reflecting on recent events: they produced some really beautiful, creative writing and translation work.”

Two winners were chosen:

• Aaron Rodrigo, of Year 8, for his English translation
• Darren Lee, of Year 9, for his own poem inspired by Senghor’s original but also expressing the outpouring of outrage caused by the death of George Floyd.

Aaron gave his entry the title Black Lives Matter – we can make a change! and illustrated it with the 2018 Nike advertisement featuring the face of the Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling and bearing the legend ‘Speaking up doesn’t always make life easier. But easy never changed anything’.

Darren’s 17-line homage to the original is entitled Poème à mon Frère Blanc – Revisit and Reflection. Starting with a very personal perspective (‘I may not be black, but I can still see the injustice’), it ends with the thought that recent events have affected the whole world: ‘…the infamous line that shook the globe, “I can’t breathe”’.

Darren and Rodrigo’s entries have been selected for inclusion in the next edition of The Arabella, QE’s pupil-produced arts magazine. Scroll below to read them.

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Poème à mon frère blanc
Léopold Sédar Senghor

Cher frère blanc,
Quand je suis né, j’étais noir,
Quand j’ai grandi, j’étais noir,
Quand je suis au soleil, je suis noir,
Quand je suis malade, je suis noir,
Quand je mourrai, je serai noir.

Tandis que toi, homme blanc,
Quand tu es né, tu étais rose,
Quand tu as grandi, tu étais blanc,
Quand tu vas au soleil, tu es rouge,
Quand tu as froid, tu es bleu,
Quand tu as peur, tu es vert,
Quand tu es malade, tu es jaune,
Quand tu mourras, tu seras gris.
Alors, de nous deux,
Qui est l’homme de couleur ?

Poem to my white brother
Translation by Aaron Rodrigo
Dear white brother
When I was born, I was black
When I grew up, I was black
When I am under the sun, I am black
When I am sick, I am black
When I die, I will be black

While you, white man
When you were born, you were pink
When you grew up, you were white
When you are under the sun, you are red
When you are cold, you are blue
When you are scared, you are green
When you die, you will be grey
So, out of the two of us
Who is the coloured man?

Poème à mon Frère Blanc – Revisit and Reflection
Darren Lee
I may not be black, but I can still see the injustice,
To know if you’re a bystander then you’re an accomplice,
I may not be black, but I still see the gunshots,
To see the ground all covered in scarlet,
I may not be black, but I can read the numbers,
To show that black men are shot down to slumber,
I may not be black, but I can still hear their cries,
Of a black dad still waiting for his son,
Of a black girl still waiting for her mum,
Lives stolen by the flares of the gun.
I may not be black, but I’m still tired.
I will use my privilege as my weapon,
My voice as my ammo,
My beliefs as my grenades, to explode,
To call the war on racism as we grieve,
Should never have heard the infamous line that shook the globe,
“I can’t breathe”.