Meet Our Language Assistants: Supporting Young Linguists
Each year, Bancroft’s welcomes a new cohort of talented language assistants whose energy and expertise contribute greatly to life in the Modern Languages Department.
This year, our assistants are: Cristina Ortiz for Spanish, Canelle Durand for French and Ishini Rathnayake for German.
Working closely with pupils, our three assistants offer invaluable opportunities to practise languages first-hand with native speakers. Their presence helps build confidence, sharpen skills and, perhaps most importantly, open a window onto the excitement of discovering new cultures.
At the same time, they have the opportunity to live and work in London, experience school life from the inside, and explore the world of teaching.
We sat down with them to hear about their experiences so far.
Can you describe your roles as language assistants?
Ishini described her experience in the classroom as an opportunity to gain practical teaching skills while supporting pupils. “Standing in front of the class is awesome. It’s part of becoming a confident teacher. We definitely learn a lot about lesson planning, helping pupils get out of their comfort zone, and just not being afraid to make a mistake.”
Canelle highlighted the cultural exchange aspect of her role. “It’s great to be able to share our language and culture with pupils and help them practise in a real-world context.”
“Every lesson is an opportunity for them to gain confidence and experience the language in a natural, interactive way.” Canelle
Cristina explained that they focus on helping pupils build confidence. ”I try to create a classroom atmosphere where they feel comfortable expressing themselves freely, while giving them positive and constructive feedback.” She added, “What I enjoy most about my work is getting to know the pupils and understanding why they choose to study a language. I absolutely love seeing the progress they make.”
How have you found settling in at Bancroft’s?
Canelle reflected on how welcoming the school community has been. “The community is very welcoming and very friendly. We never felt lost. Not knowing the place or the people, everyone was interested in us and our subjects, and that made a big difference.”
Ishini agreed, noting that casual interactions, even during the first classroom breaks, helped them make friends and feel part of the school: “The first classroom break as well as break times during the day is always where you get to know different people. We made friends and got to know some other staff members.”
Cristina emphasised how much she values the professional and personal support from the department. “Since I arrived at the school, everyone has been really welcoming, and I’ve felt part of the team straight away.” She also added, “There’s a really positive atmosphere that helps lessons run effectively and support pupils’ wellbeing which makes it easier for teachers to build good relationships, both personally and professionally.”
How did you come to work at Bancroft’s and what drew you to this role?
Cristina shared that her love of languages began early. “Since I was a child, I’ve been very interested in languages… I loved music and wanted to understand the lyrics, and over time I became fascinated by the cultural side too.” This eventually led her toward teaching: “I realised how much I enjoyed teaching and that I could see myself working as a teacher in the future.”
She applied through a programme run by the Spanish Ministry of Education and was delighted to be placed at Bancroft’s. “I see it as a school that offers many opportunities, both for students and for teachers, to grow and develop professionally.”
Ishini and Canelle described their motivation as a combination of gaining hands-on teaching experience and sharing their own culture and language. “Standing in front of the class and helping students gain confidence is incredible,” Ishini said. “We also learned a lot by observing other teachers and trying to find the best ways to make lessons engaging and interactive.”
For Canelle, it was a mix of opportunities. “You get to meet lots of people, explore the city, and understand what teaching in schools is really like.”
“Living in London and working at such a large school gives you a unique experience.” Ishini
How have you found life outside the classroom?
Canelle described London as a city full of possibilities and adventure. “I’ve been to many museums and discovered different places.”
Ishini added, “We do something new every week. Cristina and I went to Oxford. We also met other French, Spanish, and German assistants that work nearby.”
Living arrangements have added a special dimension to the experience. “We all live together,” Canelle said. “That’s really nice because it would be very different doing it by yourself. It kind of reminds me a bit of being at university, sharing experiences and supporting each other.”
What do you hope to take away from this experience?
Cristina explained that the placement is helping her develop both personally and professionally. “I feel that this experience is helping me get to know myself as a teacher and understand my own teaching identity and to explore different techniques and strategies that might be useful in the classroom.”
She also reflected on future plans: “After this placement, I’m hoping to start a Master’s degree related to language teaching, and I’d like to work as an English teacher in Spain. However, this experience has been so positive for me so far that I’m definitely open to coming back in the future.”
Ishini described it as a chance to grow as a teacher while gaining confidence for her future studies. “This experience is helping me see what teaching really involves and what kind of teacher I want to become.”
Canelle added, “You learn every day, and reflect on what I want my future to look like. I hope to continue teaching and maybe explore further opportunities abroad. This year has really opened my eyes to the possibilities in education and language teaching.”
Thank you Canelle, Ishini and Cristina for taking the time to talk to us.
