The silver-tongued students had to design a space hotel that would orbit the earth, explaining their design concepts in English and their sales pitch in German to a skilled panel of linguists and engineers.
As King’s Head of German Jessica Houghton, a former national ‘German Teacher of the Year’, said: “It certainly encouraged our pupils to think outside of the box and use their German language skills in a completely different context to anything they might learn in class.”
The 16-team competition held at The Manchester Grammar School, saw King’s impress with their cardboard cartwheel design of a space hotel intelligently explained to the top panel. Team member Jo Whiteley said: “It was team work. We divided up the task into manageable units for which we would each be responsible, researching the language we needed to use throughout the event.”
Fellow team member Dominic Townsend added: “It isn’t such a far-fetched idea. Billionaires are currently working on space travel and a hotel in space is just another step. Whether it will happen in my lifetime is doubtful and whether I would be able to afford a room… another matter completely.”
Pictured with their space hotel are from left to right at the back are Pieter Coyle and Dominic Townsend. At the front are Jo Whiteley, Oliver Hall, Abigail Breese-Tovey, Rosie Ibbotson and teacher Jessica Houghton.