Modern Foreign Languages
SPIRITUAL, MORAL, SOCIAL AND CULTURE IN MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education is a natural focus of MFL.
People, their relationships and their interactions with others are an intrinsic part of what we teach, and the cultural immersion of learning a language cannot be avoided.
In MFL, we give our students an opportunity to both consider the needs and experiences of people of other cultures, and reflect upon their own response to this.
We also encourage students to discover, discuss and debate unfamiliar lifestyles, global events, problems and changes.
Finally, SMSC is not confined to the MFL classroom – we hope that the study of languages will positively affect our students’ lives and their understanding of the world around them.
Spiritual Development in Modern Foreign Languages
Faith and spiritualism play an important part in any society, whether in a religious or secular sense.
In MFL at Oxted, pupils are encouraged to consider this in the study of each of our languages, namely French, German and Spanish.
French
Key Stage 3: Students begin by exploring religious and Pagan celebrations and festivals in target language countries and reflect on their meaning and significance.
GCSE: We explore in more depth the role that different faiths now play within the societies of the target language countries and the affect that this has on the country’s politics and society e.g. the recent educational debate about the wearing of the veil in schools.
A-Level: Older students look at the ‘bigger picture’ of immigration in France, German and Spain, its history and effects on current-day society. This includes a consideration of the role of religion within society.
Moral Development in Modern Foreign Languages
Value Systems in other Culture
Moral development in MFL permits students to build a framework of moral values which regulates their personal behaviour. It is also about the development of understanding of society’s shared and agreed values.
Moral Development in MFL is also about students gaining an understanding of the range of views and the reasons for the range. It is also about developing an opinion about the different views. In our language studies they explore and analyse appropriate texts which furnish them with the knowledge and ability to question and reason, which enable them to develop their own value system and to make reasonable decisions on matters of personal integrity.
“Right and Wrong”
Students develop an awareness that life throws up situations where what is right or wrong is not universally agreed. Authentic target language texts are selected that extend students’ ideas and their moral and emotional understanding.
Developing a Personal Set of Values
Through reflection on texts, students express informed personal opinions. Students learn to articulate their own attitudes and values through being provided with opportunities to discuss matters of personal concern, related to books, films and texts read in class.
They are given, particularly in Year 12 and Year 13, opportunities to talk for a range of purposes including exploration and hypothesis, consideration of ideas, argument, debate and persuasion. In discussion they are encouraged to take different views into account and construct persuasive arguments
Key Stage 3: Students explore and compare relationships between friends and family members as well as between societies of different cultures and backgrounds.
GCSE: Students begin to discuss the rights and responsibilities of young people in their capacity as global citizens. They also explore and discuss voluntary work and related social issues. Students are encouraged to investigate the impact of drugs and alcohol on young peoples’ lives and society as a whole. Environmental issues and consequences are discussed and considered in greater detail.
A-Level: Students are given the tools to explore, discuss and compare the moral tensions that young people face in the context of their country of birth. They investigate the media portrayal of the individual and its ethical connotations. Students explore and discuss the issues and projects that promote sustainable tourism, environmentalism and conservationism. Within the literature module, students are encouraged to question the moral implications of the periods of history (the French Occupation, the Division of Germany and the Franco dictatorship) and whether society has learnt from its past mistakes.
Inside and outside of the classroom students can appreciate and discuss the contribution of the leisure, travel and tourism sector to different national economies, and furthermore they have the tools to explore and discuss the sustainable development of tourist attractions/regions.
Social Development in Modern Foreign Languages
Learning to Live
Within the MFL department we promote social development as a means of young people working effectively with each other and participating successfully in the community as a whole.
It is about the development of the skills and personal qualities necessary for living and working together. It is about functioning effectively in a multi-racial, multi-cultural society.
This includes understanding people as well as understanding society’s institutions, structures and characteristics, economic and political principles and organisations, roles and responsibilities and life as a citizen, parent or worker in a community. It also involves the development of the inter-personal skills necessary for successful relationships. In language lessons we:
KS3 to KS5
We achieve the above by encouraging our students to (the depth in which we study each theme is dependent on the stage of language acquisition and therefore vocabulary at their disposal):
- explore racism, segregation and prejudice in the target language countries
- explore healthy lifestyles and refer to the negative impact of smoking, alcohol or drug abuse
- discuss the pros and cons of marriage and cohabitation
- discuss the right to vote and about age of consent for various rights
- explore marginalisation and social exclusion i.e. unemployment and homelessness
To achieve all of the above, students learn in a safe environment conducive
to collaboration and the sharing of ideas.
Beyond the Classroom
Past and future school exchanges allow our students to appreciate that relationships are not bound nor restricted by cultural nor physical factors. With the emergence and development of e-mail and social networking, students are able to maintain constant contact and versatile contact with both school peers and foreign pen-friends.
Cultural Development in Modern Foreign Languages
Local, National and Global Cultures
Cultural development in MFL is about our students understanding their own culture and other cultures in Oxted, Surrey and Britain as a country as a whole.
It is also about:
- understanding cultures represented in Europe and elsewhere in the world
- understanding and feeling comfortable in a variety of cultures
- being able to operate in the emerging world culture of shared experiences provided by television, travel and the internet
- understanding that cultures are always changing and coping with change
- ensuring we value our cultural diversity and in our efforts to prevent racism
- breaking through linguistic and cultural barriers
- reflecting on how different cultures are portrayed in their text books and in various authentic resources from magazines, newspapers, flyers and on the internet
Beyond the Classroom
Visits to target language countries and links with schools in target language countries have been established and are open to all students, not just those studying MFL.
Through this, we aim to make our students understand the meaning, nature and value of the multicultural make-up of target language countries.