Learning a language is a way to make connections with others. Even a few words can open doors, hearts and minds, and the more you know of a language, the deeper and more meaningful those connections can become.
- Simon Ager, author of Omniglot

Notitia linguarum est prima porta sapientiae.
(Knowledge of languages is the doorway to wisdom)
- Roger Bacon, medieval English philosopher

Our MFL curriculum seeks to develop our pupils into confident and knowledgeable linguists. We prepare them to communicate confidently in the real world and see languages as an opportunity to broaden their horizons, experiences and empathy.

All students:

Build rich and secure linguistic knowledge

• Through our curriculum, all students develop mastery in both the receptive (listening and reading) and the productive (speaking and writing) skills.
• All students have a strong grasp of grammatical knowledge, vocabulary and phonics to develop their linguistic competences.
• We ensure that we balance the teaching of the four skills as a way to build secure foundations for learning. All students are given excellent models of the four skills on which to base their learning and we encourage all pupils to engage in reciprocal practice in lessons meaning that there is a strong focus on collaborative learning.

See themselves as global citizens

• Students can use the skills learnt in lesson to expand their global outlook. We introduce students to the cultural diversity of French and Spanish speaking countries beyond Europe.
• In lessons we make it explicit that learning a language is about learning new experiences, meeting new people and broadening their horizons.
• Students are given the tools to seek opportunities abroad using the qualifications they gain and are inspired by the lives of their teachers.

Develop confidence and fluency

• At every point of their language learning journey, students feel confident using the language they are learning. The opportunities for practice and speaking embedded in lessons allows for this confidence to be developed.
• With this fundamental confidence that students gain, they are equipped to apply new knowledge as they acquire it within and beyond the classroom setting.

University

The KS5 curriculum is an area that we are currently in the process of developing. Completing an A Level will prepare pupils for a language degree or language combined course. The wide range of topics covered over two year and the study of works (texts and film) prepares pupils for the academic and research demands of a Languages degree. Languages courses at university offer you the chance to study an individual modern language or combine two or more ( often including history, literature, culture, and politics); translation and interpreting, as well as linguistics.

Careers:

We teach students that MFL is a highly recommended subject and give them information that helps them to make informed choices about how they will use their language qualifications. We explicitly establish and develop life-long linguistic competencies such as building confidence, tenacity, curiosity and creativity.

The MFL team at Walthamstow Academy is united by a passion for learning and teaching languages. We encourage a culture of questions and draw on our rich experiences as language learners ourselves, as well as former residents of Francophone and Hispanophone countries, to respond and motivate our students to achieve highly across all language skills, drawing on up to date research in the field of language learning.

Ms Serena Alexis - Head of MFL; teacher of French and Spanish 

Ms Diane Collins – Teacher of French

Ms Stephanie Silva – Teacher of Spanish

For more information on our curriculum, please email serena.alexis@walthamstow-academy.org for a copy of our department curriculum handbook.