THE Schools’ Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) department is thriving, with a bumper year of students taking French, German or Spanish at A Level, and a move into the Jubilee Building.
MFL now occupies three spacious classrooms in the new development and, with access to modern technologies and authentic materials, take up of foreign languages continues to buck the national trend and show a healthy increase.
Department head Matt Pritt, who teaches French and German, as well as Mandarin as a super-curricular subject in Year 12, said the move to the Jubilee Building has come at the right time.
“The fantastic environment, with modern technology and authentic learning materials, really reflects the image we want to project as a modern, outward-facing department that is adapting to the changing landscape of MFL,” said Mr Pritt.
“While, statistically, the North East has one of the lowest take ups of MFL in the country, we are seeing a really healthy interest here at Dame Allan’s, and we try to capture that curiosity in language from a young age.”
The large department has seven full-time foreign language teachers and five further part-time members of staff and language assistants. Rebecca Fairbairn, Teacher of French, also teaches children in Years 3 to 6 at Dame Allan’s Junior School three days a week.
In Year 7, all pupils learn French, in Year 8, they are also introduced to German or Spanish, and in Year 9, they are required to choose two of the three language options. The school encourages all pupils, if possible, to take at least one language at GCSE.
Mr Pritt, who has taught at DAS for six years, said: “It’s so important for students to explore and experience different languages, that’s why we endeavour to ensure that every single pupil has the opportunity to go on a foreign trip at least once.”
The department regularly runs foreign excursions across all Key Stages for all Modern Languages, with separate trips to St. Omer and Paris for French, Andalusia and Barcelona for Spanish and Berlin and Cologne for German.
Younger pupils are introduced to the local culture through structured activities and visits, to help inspire and motivate them in their studies. GCSE students are given the opportunity to attend lessons at foreign schools, while A Level students are encouraged to participate in work experience programmes.
Mr Pritt said: “Foreign trips really help pupils to gain an appreciation of a country’s culture and learn to understand and speak a language more authentically by communicating with native speakers. It is important for students to realise that the classroom only represents a small part of the study of foreign languages.”
In school, the department also runs a popular ‘Speak for Sweets’ initiative to encourage pupils who speak languages other than English to share words, phrases and tongue-twisters with classmates and peers… in return for a treat!
Mr Pritt, who previously worked as a teacher in China, said: “At the last ‘Speak for Sweets’ meeting we had pupils speaking 19 different languages, from Greek and Danish, to Korean, Arabic and the Nigerian language of Yoruba.
” It’s a popular gathering that pupils really enjoy and, with over 7,000 languages spoken around the world today, it’s important that the MFL department plays a positive role in highlighting just how varied and interesting language can be.”