Speaking Spanish with the Swans

Swansea City midfielder Roque Mesa has helped local pupils celebrate the European Day of Languages.

The Spanish summer signing took time out to visit a group of language students from Gowerton Comprehensive School to help them celebrate the day which the Swans have a history of supporting.

“It started in 2001 when the Council of Europe in Strasbourg came up with the idea for schools, colleges, universities and businesses to celebrate the linguistic diversity across Europe,” explained the group’s teacher Sara Thomas.

“We put on an event every year on this day and we’re concentrating on Spanish today."

Held in the Arthur Neave café in Swansea, the event allowed students to ask Mesa questions in his native language in a bid to help them to develop their own linguistic skills, but to also inspire them to continue learning languages after completing their GCSE's.

“Some of the pupils say what’s the point in learning Spanish if they’re never going to go to Spain but this event shows that you don’t need to be in Spain to speak Spanish,” Sara added. “You can be right here in Swansea speaking Spanish with Roque Mesa!”

The Spanish Q&A sees Mesa join a long list of Swans players who have helped local language pupils to celebrate the day in recent years, including former players Gerhard Tremmel and Bafe Gomis, and it was an event the midfielder thoroughly enjoyed.

“It’s nice because the kids are speaking Spanish,” said Roque Mesa following the event. “It’s good for me too, to speak Spanish.

"It's important the children are developing their skills learning a new language, just as I am learning English since joining Swansea.

"I find that speaking to my team-mates in English and watching television in English really helps. Learning the language will also help me settle even more in Swansea - not only on the pitch but off it too.”