El lenguaje secreto del abanico – the secret language of the fan

As part of our European Day of Languages celebrations, Year 7 students took part in a special Spanish-themed workshop exploring el lenguaje secreto del abanico – the “secret language of the fan.”

In 18th and 19th century Spain, fans (abanicos) were not only fashion accessories but also a clever way to send messages without words. Students discovered the history behind this tradition and learned how different gestures could signal answers such as sí, no, or even te quiero (“I love you”).

Pupils then had the chance to design and decorate their own paper fans, before using them to create short “conversations” with their classmates. The workshop was a creative and cultural celebration of language in action!