“Learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. The teaching should enable pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It should also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language. Language teaching should provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries.” (DfE, MFL, September 2013).
Here we explore these principles in the context of the MFL curriculum:
Entitlement:
All pupils in England have the right to learn the basics of another European Language and to explore the cultures where that language is spoken.
Coherence:
Our MFL curriculum for Spanish is sequenced so that knowledge of vocabulary and grammar builds term by term and year by year. Linguistic competency deepens and expands at everystep.
Mastery:
We ensure that linguistic knowledge and its application in context are secure before moving on. Pupils revisit prior learning and apply it in an increasingly sophisticated manner.
Adaptability:
The core linguistic competencies and essential vocabulary are the same in all contexts, but departments and teachers adapt lessons and tailor specific content to meet the needs of their pupils.
Representation:
Our curriculum presents Spanish as a global language, spoken by a diversity of people.
Education with character:
MFL provide pupils with an opportunity to learn about other peoples, cultures and beliefs and compare them with their own.