On Wednesday, March 18th, Bangkok Patana School proudly hosted the second edition of the Languages Olympiad, building on the outstanding success of last year’s inaugural event. What began as a new initiative has quickly developed into a meaningful celebration of language learning, collaboration and cultural understanding within the international school community.

This year marked an exciting milestone for the Olympiad. We were delighted to welcome two additional schools, bringing the total to 13 participating schools from Bangkok, Hua Hin and Pattaya. With this growth came an even larger gathering, with approximately 320 students and 40 language teachers coming together for a day dedicated to celebrating languages and the connections they create.

In addition to French, Spanish and Mandarin, the Second Languages Olympiad proudly introduced Japanese for the first time. The inclusion of Japanese enriched the carousel of activities and reflected our commitment to inclusivity and to recognising the linguistic diversity represented across our schools. For many students, this was their first opportunity to encounter a new language and culture in such an interactive and celebratory context.

The day opened with a vibrant Opening Ceremony that set an inspiring tone. Our students represented Bangkok Patana School with confidence, enthusiasm and pride. Whether singing the Royal Anthem, performing the Lantern Dance, cheerleading in French, or singing a welcome song in Spanish, their performances highlighted not only strong language skills but also creativity, teamwork, and courage. These moments powerfully reminded us that languages are not just academic subjects, but living tools for expression and connection.

Throughout the day, students worked in mixed‑school teams, collaborating with peers they had never met before. This structure remains one of the Olympiad’s greatest strengths. By working together across schools, students developed communication, teamwork, and problem‑solving skills while using their target languages in meaningful and enjoyable ways. The atmosphere across the activity stations was energetic and positive, filled with curiosity, encouragement, and laughter.

The Languages Olympiad was very much a team effort. A wide range of staff worked behind the scenes to ensure the day ran smoothly. From language teachers across all participating schools who designed and facilitated activities, to Patana colleagues supporting logistics, supervision, and organisation, every contribution played a vital role. Their commitment, flexibility, collaboration, and support reflected the core values at the heart of the Olympiad.

Below are reflections from seven of our students:

Kiko Toma, 6C – Representing Spanish

“I really enjoyed the activities at the Languages Olympiad because they were all different and fun. Every activity needed teamwork and good collaborative skills, which helped us work well together and feel closer as a group.

Before the event, I felt a little nervous because I didn’t know who I would be in a group with and I wasn’t sure if we would get along. However, by the end of the day, my nerves were completely gone. I was really happy with my group members because they were all very friendly and supportive, which made me feel much more confident.

The activity I will remember the most is Charades. This game needed strong teamwork and good vocabulary knowledge. We worked together really well and managed to score 60 points just from this activity, which made us feel very proud.

I worked with four students from different schools, and even though we didn’t know each other at first, we quickly became friends. Working with them felt very smooth because everyone had different strengths, and those strengths helped our team succeed.

I felt especially proud of myself when my group, S10, won the bronze medal. Since it was my first time participating in the Languages Olympiad, I didn’t expect us to be on the podium at all, so it was a big and happy surprise.

For anyone thinking of joining the Languages Olympiad next year and feeling nervous about not being with their friends, I would tell them not to worry. You will make new friends from different schools, and it is a great opportunity to learn, work as a team, and have fun at the same time.”

Rose Li, 5W – Representing French

“I really enjoyed working with others and collaborating as a team during the Languages Olympiad.

At the start, I felt nervous about being an MC, but by the end I felt happy and proud of myself for trying something new. I also learnt about different countries around the world that speak French.

During the Olympiad, I learnt how to collaborate better with my team and how important it is to be patient when working with others. One of my favourite moments was when my friends and I made sure to include everyone. I especially liked the activity where we had to use playdough to shape different things.

I worked with students from different schools, and it was really fun getting to know them. We helped each other by correcting mistakes and supporting one another.

Personally, I found the activity where you had to read a paragraph and match it to the photo quite challenging, but my team helped me and we worked through it together. I also felt very proud when we managed to get the ping-pong balls into the boxes.

Overall, I think the Languages Olympiad is a great opportunity to learn from each other and have a really good time. I would definitely recommend joining because it is a great experience, and I think you would love it too.”

Brian An, 8J – Representing Mandarin

“In the Language Olympiad competition, I massively enjoyed the fun and interactive stations. I before event I thought I needed to practice hard and memorise all the words but it turns out that it was very fun and not that much memorising involved. 

I learnt that languages are important as they help people feel connected and help people to communicate. From the numerous activities I learnt lots of new Chinese characters such as, 苹果 and 熊猫.

The most memorable activity was the chopsticks game which involved 0 learning and using chopsticks to get the beans into the other cup. I also never knew that I was going to be with people from other schools.

I would recommend the Language Olympiad to other students because it is a very fun experience and an overall engaging competition.”

Edison Ye, 7L – Representing Spanish

“The Language Olympiad was a great event for everyone from multiple schools to develop their second language and to make numerous friends. As it is a new year (2026) we got our second Language Olympiad and it was even better than the first!
I genuinely feel that the second time was better than the first one because of a couple of reasons. First up, there were definitely more people than the first time, which made it way more competitive. Secondly, the activities were more engaging and more challenging than before. And thirdly, it is great because there has never been one event like it before.
Since the Language Olympiad started I felt that my collaboration skills and Spanish skills have improved. I realized that only once one achieves a balance between practicing, cooperation and enjoyableness can they improve faster than usual. Overall, the Language Olympiad was a great experience for those who want to improve their second language whilst having fun.”

Lyla Fowler, 7L – Representing  French

“My day at Languages Olympiad was spectacular. I am so privileged that I could come to this event twice: Once in Primary and this time in year 7.

The event includes activities that are spoken in the language you are learning, a fun opening ceremony that hypes everyone up and my favourite part is getting to know your teammates from other schools. All the schools that participate have a very big role in this Languages Olympiad. It’s not just Patana staff but other staff from other schools help run the activities. This is a great opportunity to create new friendships and exploring different cultures. It’s based around teamwork, games and having fun. I am proud Patana has hosted this delectable event twice and I hope this occasion will be forever in Bangkok Patana’s legacy. Lastly remember it’s not just about the language but about working together and having fun.”

Sophia Cha, 7C – Representing Spanish

“Participating in the Language Olympiad (2nd edition) was such a delight! What I loved most was when everybody worked together and collaborated to solve challenges. The experience gave me a chance to challenge my skills and capability. Also, I would highly recommend other students join this because of how enjoyable and diverting it was! In conclusion, the Language Olympiad reminded me that languages aren’t just another way to communicate, but about connecting with people and cultures.”

Griffin Fuller, 7O – Representing Mandarin

“I enjoyed being in a group with other Chinese speakers from different schools and Year levels and working with them to show our knowledge of Chinese culture. Before the Language Olympiad, I felt weird at the idea of working with different people that I didn’t know. Afterwards, I was happy for the new friends I had made that day. I learnt that many different people can learn about a singular culture and language. I learnt how to better work with new people that I otherwise would never have talked to. There was a funny time when my new friend in Year 6 told us about the Chinese show we were watching and a funny event that had happened with him before the Olympiad. I think that people doing the LO 2027 should be open minded about new people and cultures because you never know what friendships and interests might arise.”