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Modern Foreign Languages
Teaching modern foreign languages at Whitstone School is about giving students a positive experience which will equip them with necessary skills that they can develop and use in life beyond the classroom. It encourages students to be more tolerant and have a better understanding of other cultures whilst also enabling them to express their ideas and thoughts in the target language in both speech and written forms.
Learning a language at Whitstone school also increases a learner’s confidence and ability to communicate, both in the foreign language and in their own.
There is evidence to prove that language learning provides students with improved transferable skills too. Learning a language helps to develop listening and problem solving skills and cope with the unfamiliar whilst also improving memory skills. It also helps students to understand the structures and origin of their own language.
We take an inclusive approach to learning a language at Whitstone School as we believe it is vitally important that all students gain linguistic and cultural insights, regardless of ability. As a subject area, we explicitly teach the skills of listening, reading, writing and communication using a common language, while retaining the flexibility to teach within our own style. Tasks within lessons are effectively modelled and differentiated to ensure rapid progress is made.
By the end of a learner’s MFL journey at Whitstone School, whether that be in year 9 or year 11, it is our aim that a student will be more tolerant, open-minded and will demonstrate the resilience and determination to succeed.