Year 8 pupils Jessica Morton-Cain and Tarnia Mason have been learning a little Punjabi from their friend Sandeep Saib, who speaks the language. All are at Woodbridge High School, a specialist language college in the London borough of Redbridge.

They decided to script and learn a short play. Tarnia and Jessica played mother and daughter. The two are on an aircraft and the daughter is nervous. To calm her, they sing a Punjabi song and do a dance. Then the mother tries to read a newspaper, but her daughter is bored and keeps bothering her.

All three worked hard on the project. “We gave up lunchtimes, breaktimes and other times”, says Sandeep. Their hard work paid off. In early July they won first prize in the Woodbridge High School TAFAL competition, the central event of a lively, day-long celebration of diversity and internationalism at the school.

TAFAL stands for Teach a Friend a Language. It is open to all the school’s students, who enrol for the competition in pairs or occasionally threes. After working together for a few weeks they have to talk in the language they have been learning for a couple of minutes in front of a judge who speaks that language.

“The aim is for learners to understand and appreciate their friend’s culture by learning some of their language and becoming involved in other ways in what their friend is about,” says Jason Porter, teacher and, with Amelie Annee, co-organiser of the event. Generally teachers worked hard “at raising the profile of internationalism”, adds deputy head, Caroline Kuecuek. Forty-two languages are spoken within the school.

The TAFAL festival, however, consists of more than a series of language tests. Competitors also decorate a table to illustrate the culture they have chosen and wear traditional costumes, with prizes on offer in both categories.

So, in front of Sandeep and her two friends were Sikh bracelets, a Sikh newspaper, Punjabi school books, sweet foods and many other objects and artefacts.

Both Tarnia and Jessica were wearing traditional Indian dress. Visitors to their table could have their name written in Punjabi on a small, decorated piece of paper.

Dmitri Kapnisis taught his friend Ashley Meadows some Greek. A Greek game, food, huge Greek worry beads and a Greek bible were displayed on their table. Other competitors included Welsh, Spanish, Hindi, Turkish and Urdu speakers. There was even a table of Maori exhibits.

Also in the hall was an abundance of Indian, Chinese and other ethnic food for the competitors and visitors to try. Chinese and Urdu objects were on display and visitors could have their hands painted with henna. Between TAFAL judging sessions there was music from the school’s steel pan band and Indian dancing.

At Woodbridge High, French, German and Spanish are taught within the main curriculum, but after-school language lessons in Spanish, Urdu, Chinese, Punjabi, Greek, Turkish, Arabic, Bengali and French are also thriving. Since TAFAL started, “the community languages department has experienced an increased interest”, says Jason.

“TAFAL has made language learning more relevant and realistic and is going a long way to making languages and foreign cultures a normal part of the student’s school experience.”

Woolbridge High is preparing a pack for primary and secondary schools on how to organise a TAFAL festival. Contact Caroline Kuecuek or Jason Porter, Tel: 020 8504 9618Email: amelieannee@woodbridgehigh school.co.uk

SETTING UP YOUR OWN COMPETITION

* Seek financial support: Woodbridge High received funds from the Nuffield Foundation, which gave money to finance the competition, provide cover for staff involved on the day and fund the expansion of the community language department.

* Appoint someone who can organise the competition and event (for example a teacher on a responsibility point).

* Promote the event through posters and assemblies - draw attention to the prize money. (First prize winners received pound;50 at the Woodbridge TAFAL.)

* Students enrol, naming their partner(s) and the language. Sessions are set aside after school for students to write their scripts and practice. These are monitored by teachers to see that students are attending and are on track.

* Find judges. Use sixth formers as much as possible, and sometimes parents or teachers.

* Contact bodies involved in language teaching, community organisations and the press, who may want to send representatives. You can also approach celebrities. Sebastien Schemmel, the French West Ham football player, presented the prizes at the Woodbridge TAFAL and was interviewed by able linguists in French.

* Establish criteria for judging. Woodbridge High’s were similar to those used in GCSE language and oral exams. Judges looked at: pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary, content, general impression and attitude (how involved and enthusiastic were the students?).

* Organise food and entertainment.