MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Language is not a genetic gift, it is a social gift. Learning a new language is becoming a member of the club – the community of speakers of that language.
- Frank Smith
Head of MFL: Mrs K Cowburn
At Harper Green School, we believe that learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. Many of our young people come to us from households who have a first language that is not English, and we are proud of the rich diversity of language and culture that grows from our shared experience.
The high-quality languages education that we offer fosters our young people's curiosity and deepens their understanding of the world.
Our teaching enables students to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It provides 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.
Key Stage 3 overview
All of our students will have access to learning another language. We currently teach Spanish, one of the languages identified by the British Council as being most needed in the post-Brexit world.
Key Stage 4 overview
At Key Stage 4, students can choose to continue to study Spanish by selecting it as a GCSE option.
A GCSE in Spanish gives an excellent springboard for further languages study Post-16. It supports students who wish to complete the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) suite of qualifications. The EBacc is a set of subjects at GCSE that keeps young people’s options open for further study and future careers.
Even for students who do not wish to embark on further study of Spanish post-16, language skills are highly valued and sought after by employers, who recognise the broad skillset that young people develop as they learn a second (or third!) language.