Welcome to the MFL Department
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”1:13 Corinthians |
Christian Vision and Values in MFL
Inspired by the words of 1 Corinthians 13:1, the MFL department affirms that language learning is most meaningful when grounded in the values of love, respect, and tolerance.
As a department, we believe that communication is not only a skill but a calling: the ability to speak in many tongues is enriched and given purpose when it reflects Christ’s love. Without this foundation, our words lose their impact. With it, they become a bridge between cultures, communities, and individuals.
We model love by nurturing a supportive environment where every student feels valued and encouraged to grow.
We show respect by honouring the diversity of languages, cultures, and identities within our school and the global community.
We practise tolerance by fostering openness, empathy, and understanding, helping students appreciate different perspectives and live out the inclusive message of the Gospel.
Through our teaching, we aim to help students not only communicate effectively but also become compassionate global citizens who use their voices with purpose, humility, and love.
MFL Curriculum Intent
- At Balshaw’s we aim to cultivate a love of languages and help students develop into confident linguists.
- We encourage our students to express their views and feelings in the target language yet be open-minded to the opinions of others.
- Through our teaching, we push young people to explore their identity and understand the role they can play in the wider world.
- We introduce students to different cultures and help them to foster a mutual understanding and respect of others.
French Curriculum Implementation
Key Stage 3
Key Stage 4
Spanish Curriculum Implementation
Key Stage 3
Key Stage 4
MFL Department Staff
If you want to speak to a member of the MFL department, these are the members of the department:
Curriculum Leader: Ms J. Singleton
Mrs L Dudley
Mr K Harwood
Mrs J Lylyk
Mrs C Mackintosh
Extra-curricular Opportunities in MFL
In the MFL department we provide a broad range of extra-curricular experiences to cultivate a love of language. Culture Club is held weekly and covers a diverse range of cultural aspects, such as international music, film, food, animé. We take part in national competitions, such as the Anthea Bell Translation Prize run by Queen’s College, Oxford, as well as GCHQ’s annual National Language Competition. We invite in speakers from regional universities to discuss language learning post 16, as well as offering KS4 students trips to local universities to take part in workshops and see first hand what language learning looks like at university. We also run foreign residential trips to students at both key stages to Château Warsy in northern France, and a trip to Ávila and Madrid in Spain for KS4 Spanish students.
Further information about MFL
Home learning is set on a weekly basis and includes vocabulary learning on a digital platform such as: community-courses.memrise.com, as well as reading, writing or translation tasks. We subscribe to Pearson Edexcel’s digital platform through which students can access activities to support their vocabulary and grammar learning, as well as develop their reading, listening and translation skills. We also use a range of digital sites for quizzing in class, for example: Kahoot.com, Blooket.com and Wayground.com.
