The global village doesn't mean that everyone will speak English – it means that we have more knowledge about other countries and cultures than ever before. So learning other languages isn't just about communicating information. It's the only way to understand how other cultures think and express themselves. As well as grammar and vocabulary, our language teaching draws on history, geography, politics, literature and film. In case that's not enough of an incentive, whichever career you move on to, people with foreign language skills will always stand out compared to people without them.
At St Paul's, we don’t keep our love of languages in the language lab or the conversation class – we’re a community where our students speak more than 30 different languages at home. We support a modern languages club with its own magazine and students have even put on productions of some of the drama we study in the original language. Thanks to our links with foreign schools of the same academic background, we’re also able to offer a regular programme of exchanges and cultural visits.
Modern languages staff
Head of department
Other teaching staff
- Christelle Aguillon-Williams BA, MA (Poitiers)
- Sandra Barth BA (Martin-Luther-Universitaet Halle-Wittenberg)
- Carole Boothman BA (Liverpool)
- Kate Clanchy MA (Cantab), MBA (INSEAD)
- Alice Dvorakova
- Kate Frank BA (London), MA (London)
- Penélope García Rodríguez BA (Oviedo), MA (London)
- Manuela Knight BA (Milan)
- Silvana Marconini BA (Turin)
- Helene May MA (Sorbonne)
- Irina Ninnis BA (Moscow and London)
- Jocelyne Rapinac MA (Provence)
- Katie Roberts BA (Cantab)
- Holly Shao BSc (Hunan), MA (Sheffield)
- Paula Vélez
- Mary Wenham BA (Oxon)
- Jane Zeng BSc (South China),