Modern Languages

Bienvenue, bienvenido, to the Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) Department 

Languages are part of the cultural richness of our society and the world in which we live and work, therefore Modern Foreign Languages are taught at Godstowe within the curriculum from Year 1 to Year 8.

Whilst the initial excitement for children in learning a foreign language derives from playing with new sounds, parents’ pride and joy in their child’s early achievement is supported by the conviction that knowledge of a foreign language will ultimately contribute towards career prospects and consequently long-term well-being.

Godstowe is a multinational environment, where many of our pupils are already bilingual, or even trilingual, in languages often including French and Spanish. Our pupils are offered the opportunity to develop listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, to develop knowledge about language and language-learning skills, and to express themselves with increasing confidence, independence and creativity.

Through a structured programme promoting literacy and language-learning skills, we encourage language awareness, and directly support work within other subjects. Curiosity, enquiry, tolerance and understanding, which are encouraged through foreign language learning, are relevant and valuable for all of our pupils, and reflect the moral, spiritual and pastoral values embraced by the School.

“Through the study of a foreign language, pupils understand and appreciate different countries, cultures, people and communities and as they do so, begin to think of themselves as citizens of the world as well as of the United Kingdom. Pupils also learn about the basic structures of language. They explore the similarities and differences between the foreign language they are learning and English or another language and learn how language can be manipulated and applied in different ways. Their listening, reading and memory skills improve, and their speaking and writing become more accurate. The development of these skills, together with pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the structure of language, lays the foundations for future study of other languages.” 
National Curriculum document for MFL at Key Stages 3 & 4

Wider Cultural Context

Firmly embedding language-learning within its wider cultural context, the MFL curriculum is supported by a wide variety of opportunities for pupils to apply and extend their experience in authentic situations. These include subscriptions to Language Magazines, annual whole school cross-curricular celebrations of languages and La Fête des Rois (El día des Reyes), performances of Christmas carols, after-school activities in French, Spanish and Mandarin, performances by visiting theatre companies and a range of foreign visits.