MFL

[DrSeuss]

So, at the age of eleven I fell in love and you know what they say, first loves never, ever die! My first love was helped along by Jean-Paul, Claudette and the entire famille Marsaud. At thirteen, I began an affair with the Familie Ehlers and their diet of Spiegelei mit Bratkartoffeln, which blossomed into an enduring passion when I first set foot in Das Land aged 17. I later flirted briefly with others but my heart still belongs to my teenage idols.

Yes, I'm an MFL teacher, a decision born out of a love and fascination for my subject. Little did I know that I would be joining a persecuted, hated minority. I survive a daily onslaught of "S'crap this. Wot do I wanna know this for I'm never going there and they all speak English." I try hard to be polite to parents who tell me to my face that my subject is a waste of time. I endure job interviews where a standard question is, "How do you justify the place of MFL in the curriculum?" They never ask anything like that if you are interviewing for Maths/English/Science/Hamster Keeping. I know. I checked.
I suppose I would just like a bit of reassurance that someone, somewhere, values MFL. That someone out there is keen to have their kids learn a language.

Que je ne sois pas deçue!

What is MFL?

Modern Foreign Languages. I loved the Bertillons!

Modern Foreign Language?

I think Languages are important. DD is being taught carousel style this year and is learning French, German, Spanish and Italian. She is yr7.

Ah mais bien sur! M. Bertillon travail a Orly je pense.

One never forgets and despite a long gap between A level French and now regular holidays en France, it has stood the test of time (though of course quite rusty now!!) and is definitely worth learning.
Dh did German and has taught himself Italian, dd is doing Spanish (and Mandarin though the chances of family holidays to China are remote!)
Ds's primary do a bit of mfl teaching. I'm all for it.

I too love MFL and am hoping to get on to the GTP to become a teacher of it instead of a mere Cover Supervisor!

In answer to the question of what's the point, I reply that it helps you understand yr own language, it opens up a world of literature and exciting travel, and hopefully in this multi-cultural world it may even be useful in business etc.

My DS1 (yr7) is learning Spanish and seems to like it. They also learn German and French at our junior school!

I'm an MFL teacher too. Or was. Or might be again, maybe. Took a break with DD1 and 2 (aged 3 and 2), did a part time mat cover during last summer term (at the school I have taught at for years) and felt similarly disillusioned.

Am 7 months pregnant so not in the market for another job just yet but am seriously beginning to wonder if I want to return to MFL teaching. Teaching - yes, not disillusioned with that yet (I don't think) but the daily battle of trying to persuade teenagers/ parents/ senior management that languages do have a place is not something I'm sure I want anymore...

That's cheery, eh? Sorry

AH DrSeuss, I understand a bit more now.

FWIW I am not a teacher or a linguist (am and engineer) but my (English) parents sent me to the French Lycee in London when I was 4, then (British) comp secondary where I sailed though Spanish 0 Level, already speaking fluent French. Both have stood me in good stead, and athough languages don;t coem to me easily (had I not started at 4 I would really have struggled) I absolutely understand their importance and am glad I got a kick start.

I can't believe that you are asked to justify MFL in the curriculum !

The books I remember were the "Daniel et Valerie" and "Zoe la Puce" (yes, really!).

Clary, come join us! Instead of being a Cover Supervisor and ranking somewhere just below the woman who hoovers the staff room in terms of importance, you could find a slot between cleaner and the guy who spreads salt on the carpark!

My DD discovered her passion for languages at secondary school, through teachers like you. She is now taking an MML degree.

OP - I thank you :)

My DCs school has just become a language college as its second specialism so a language at GCSE is compulsory. DD1 did french to A level and DD2 did both French and German to GCSE (A*'s in both - proud mum ). DS (year 9) is thinking of choosing french to GCSE and possibly to A level - You don't need to justify MFL to me!

I'm doing French for A-Level and would seriously consider becoming a MFL teacher if I wasn't so awful at the subject. I wnjoy it though.

It's very difficult for the teacher(s). I noticed in GCSE hardly anyone paid attention, and the poor woman was just stuck teaching the rubbish, oversimplified syllabus to a class of 30 that didn't care at all.

MFLs are important, but the way they're taught these days in secondary schools devalues them completely. It wasn't my teachers' fault, but I'd hardly learnt anything after five years of learning French, which is atrocious, IMO.

I'm particularly about the fact that basic grammar seems to be considered some terrifying, difficult thing that we don't need to learn much of. "Oh, no. Don't bother learning the imperfect/the subjunctive/that pronoun/whatever, that will be covered at A-Level"

Ah, la famille Marsaud, avec Bruno le chien. Longmans Audio-Visual French. Écoutez et répétez. Ah zut. Le magnetophone ne marche pas. La saloppe. Je m'en fous.

My dd is doing German A-level and did a wonderful govt=sponsored pupil course this summer. She's thinking about going to university in Germany, and possibly learning Japanese once she's left school. My ds wants to do French and German. The MFL depts in both their schools are fab. I would no more query the place of MFL in the curriculum than I would English or Maths, and much less than eg. Food Tech or ICT for the Facebook generation.

But yes, agree with you that it is shocking how many secondary schools only offer one MFL to GCSE, and often the pupils don't even get to choose. When I was that age we all did two MFL to O-level, unless you were irredeemably incapable, in which case you did CSE in European Studies.

Some observations: I work in schools in London and loads of kids are bilingual - English plus a "community" language, which they often take a GCSE in (Arabic, Urdu, Turkish). So, plenty of languages about, although not necessarily MFLs.

There are some kids who love French (or who want to study other European languages) but a lot are put off because their literacy is not great and they therefore struggle with written language in general.

MFLs are regarded as desirable/academic subjects for university.

The National Centre for Languages (cilt.org.uk) does some great work promoting languages - it includes some interesting facts and figures about how graduates with more than one language earn more and how there is a shortage of language experts in this country meaning we have to import graduate linguists from abroad. Business really values employees with additional languages and they don't all have to be graduates level. I think we need to get this message across to schools/students/the government.

LOL Drsuess, man who grits the car park rather vital atm!

Actually I had a hideous day today taking English (of all things to be hideous) but Monday, mostly spent in Panjabi (not actually my MFL of choice!) was really nice so maybe the students do want to learn languages after all!

BTW my school offers four MFL and the students choose which they want to do from yr 7!

"I suppose I would just like a bit of reassurance that someone, somewhere, values MFL. That someone out there is keen to have their kids learn a language."

It is useful to study another language. You learn your native tongue by osmosis, without really thinking about it. It is only when you study another language; when you stand outside, looking in as an observer, that you start to think about linguistics, etymology, grammar, tenses, culture etc etc. However, it doesn't have to be a MFL - DS was only allowed to study one language for GCSE, and decided on a dead one.
I think that the popularity of languages would increase greatly if furriners didn't have such silly and embarassing accents!

"S'crap this. Wot do I wanna know this for?"
This complaint is not unique to MFL. I have spent years trying to persuade my DC that my favourite 'language' is a fascinating subject, where you translate English words and thoughts into symbols, with its own beautiful grammar (and definitely no irregular verbs or declensions!) but they just say, "Why do I need to learn it, I'll never use it". My 'language' is Maths.

Whyisthathen-intrigued by carousel idea. It is not usually considered a good idea to teach Italian and Spanish together as they are just so similar. How does it work? How many lessons and in what time frame? Tell me more!

Senua- I feel your pain! To argue that maths is irrelevant really does shoe total ignorance of the world in my opinion! Do they plan to count on their fingers? Actually, where I work, they would constantly miscalculate as I'm sure quite a few have a few extra! But do you also get the negativity from parents? And at least as Core, they can never get rid of you entirely. One school near us has taken MFL down to one lesson a fortnight. We currently do four hours a fortnight.

Larissa- where I work, even one GCSE in a language is relatively unusual. We have been given a target of 50% take up in Y10/11. We are not even at 20%. We are in competition with such courses as hairdressing and horse management. Guess which they choose?!

Farside- Yes, my experience is that bilingual kids with a home language that is not English are usually more positive about languages but in a school of 1200 we have 6 such kids. Every year, right before options, we do the work related learning module and plug ourselves. We use the CILT materials, we promote ourselves in assembly as best we can given that we are forbidden to directly canvas.

Milliways-all power to her! My colleagues and I live for kids like her.

Clary- Four? Wow! We do two. And don't let my complaints but you off. Do your GTP.

I value MFL. I got a C in O level French - it was a compulsory subject for my stream in 1980 and that was about that, until I went on holiday a couple of years ago.

I was surprised just how much I remembered and, when I thought back to how much of my Physics, Geography or Biology work I had ever used, it was actually much less! I realised then just how MFL are likely to be equally as useful as anything else you study (where it doesn't become your career).

I then became link Governor for MFL. To support the department as a parent who does believe they are a very important part of a rounded education.

Ironically, it is now the subject I am having the most trouble in understanding in terms of my daughters predications but, of course, that is a parental issue not a Governor one.

Please continue to fully believe in yourselves in MFL. Remember the top universities know about important academic subjects and look what they say about MFL.

Thanks, Kez. We need a governor like you!

If you up any meeting biscuits to chocolate ones I'll come and support you!

I was horrified when I was told our school hadn't even had a link governor for years. I had joined and taken link to Maths (because it's a natural choice for me due to my job) but people were fighting over Maths, so I gave it up immediately to someone else and joined MFL.

I love MFL, the reason we chose dds secondary school was because you MUST do a language for GCSE. My girls both do French, the younger does German as well.School also offers Spanish.
DD1 wants to do French A'level.Don't lose heart,you teach a very important subject that university favour.

WEll if they want 50% takeup, or even 100% takeup, instead of setting a fecking target they should make it compulsory.

Bare minimum of compulsory subjects for dc with no particular special needs or other reason to be exempted should be: English, Maths, Dual-award science, a humanity and a MFL.

That's only 6 subjects, which leaves plenty of space for daft interesting vocational or other subject options. It's exactly this kind of stuff that feeds eejits like Toby Young's Free School thing. If the basics of a minimum academic framework were in place in every school, then there'd be much less demand for maverick ideas.

At the school dd1 will probably go to French is a compulsary GCSE subject for children of all abilities. It is not an easy option, but is non-negotiable. Spanish is an option for those that want to do it.

I like Michael Gove's idea about encouraging students to take GCSE's which include English, maths, science, a MFL and a humanity as a minimum. Will probably be shouted down by others for mentioning this as a positive.

I'm studying Spanish at my local adult education college and I love it. Learning languages is such a social thing, and what could be more practical than learning how to communicate with others. Learning another language also teaches about the structure of our mother tongue.

I agree Larissa, and was delighted when my daughter (a hard-working but borderline C/D ability student) picked just that (DA science, History, French plus Drama for fun and ICT because she is very, very good at it) when friends were picking vocational subjects that would give them 7 GCSE credits.

However, now she is in the throws of the work, she is seeing the demands of some subjects (History and French in particular) compared to her friends vocational routes and questions her own ability (because she will only get 2 GGCSE credits and they will get loads more.)

I have, on more than one occasion, had the conversation with her about disarity in grades and said that education is about what you learn and difficulty and challenge is part of that process.

Having 5 a*to c GCSE inc EM is pretty much the only NUMBER that matters. Thereafter, all credit given by employers or universities will be on whether the child meets the grades required in the actual subjects the course or job requires.

I know she trusts me but I can appreciate how hard it is for her to understand when she is 14 and also when she isn't a high-flying academic.