Welcome to the MFL Department
What is the purpose of MFL in the Whole School Curriculum?
At Meden School, we are preparing our students to always strive to be the very best version of themselves, by embracing challenge and opportunity in all that they do. The learning of a foreign language inherently builds the strength of character, and thirst for curiosity that is needed for this to happen, for, in line with the ‘Purpose of study’ of MFL in the National Curriculum, learning a language at Meden:
- is a liberation from insularity
- provides an opening to other cultures
- fosters pupils’ curiosity and deepens their understanding of the world
- enables pupils to express their ideas and thoughts
- teaches them to listen, understand and respond to others, both in speech and in writing
- provides opportunities for them to communicate for a range of purposes
- develops new ways of thinking
- exposes students to a wide range of cultural capital opportunities, including great literature and music in the original language
- prepares students with skills for life changing possibilities, such as living and working abroad
What are the aims for MFL at Meden School?
Through studying a modern foreign language, pupils will develop their ability and ambition to communicate with native speakers in speech and writing. It will also broaden their horizons and encourage them to step beyond familiar cultural boundaries and develop new ways of seeing the world.
In learning a foreign language, our aims are for our students to:
- develop their ability to communicate confidently and coherently with native speakers in speech and writing, conveying what they want to say with increasing accuracy
- express and develop thoughts and ideas spontaneously and fluently
- listen to and understand clearly articulated, standard speech at near normal speed
- deepen their knowledge about how language works and enrich their vocabulary in order for them to increase their independent use and understanding of extended language in a wide range of contexts
- acquire new knowledge, skills and ways of thinking through the ability to understand and respond to a rich range of authentic spoken and written material, adapted and abridged, as appropriate, including literary texts
- develop awareness and understanding of the culture and identity of the countries and communities where the language is spoken
- be encouraged to make appropriate links to other areas of the curriculum to enable bilingual and deeper learning, where the language may become a medium for constructing and applying knowledge
- develop language learning skills both for immediate use and to prepare them for further language study and use in school, higher education or in employment develop language strategies, including repair strategies