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Posted: Wednesday 23 September 2009

Gordon Smith, Chief Executive of the SFA, urges Hutchesons' pupils to speak foreign languages

European Day of Languages - 23 September 2009 Pupils at Hutchesons' celebrated European Day of Languages in style, with presentations from three of Scotland's top professionals on why languages have been so important to their lives. Gordon Smith, Chief Executive of the SFA, explained how learning to speak German transformed his footballing career in Austria and Switzerland, and has helped a great deal in his current position representing Scotland.

Football, too, is Anna Signeul's passion. As coach for the Scottish Ladies Football Squad and a native Swede, she speaks a foreign language (English) every day. She also speaks German and uses all her languages in her work.

Fred Laing discovered the benefits of speaking languages as a schoolboy, when he accompanied his father on sales trips to South America for Douglas Laing & Co. Now with the family company himself, he continues to use languages on a daily basis.

They were thanked by pupils who each speak a different foreign language at home, including Spanish, French, German, Gaelic, Arabic and Russian.

European Day of Languages - 23 September 2009 At lunchtime, the hall was converted to a continental cafe and delicatessen and was host to a seething mass of hungry people!