VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM
The benefits of bringing languages to life
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n our View from the Classroom feature this month, we speak with Sheraz Ali, Director of Learning: MFL, at Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Manchester.
Tell us about your school?
Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy is a secondary free school. Located in Manchester, it currently has around 630 students on roll, aged 11 to 16. The school is part of Star Academies, a Multi- Academy Trust (MAT) that supports a diverse group of primary and secondary schools across the country.
Our student body is diverse, with a considerable number eligible for free school meals, and a significant percentage have special educational needs or abilities (SEND). Additionally, we have many learners for whom English isn’t their first language and who are still developing their English, and our latest census shows a rich linguistic landscape with numerous first languages represented.
At Eden, our vision is to nurture today’s young people and inspire tomorrow’s leaders. We teach our students to be compassionate and respectful to everyone they meet, regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or class. Languages are a vital part of our curriculum, with Arabic, French, and Urdu taught at Key Stages 3 and 4. Students in Years 7 to 10 participate in two language lessons a week, while Year 11s have three. All our language teachers
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are native speakers and qualified teachers, a factor that greatly enhances language learning for our students.
How important do you think it is for children to study a language?
Language learning is invaluable. Beyond cognitive benefits like improved memory and problem- solving skills, learning a language is a gateway to understanding and appreciating the world. It promotes cultural empathy, fosters personal growth, and prepares students for a globalised economy.
And it’s not merely about communication; Language is a transformative skill that encourages students to appreciate diversity and understand different ways of thinking. One of our students shared: “Learning a language feels really hard at times, but it’s exciting when we actually get to use it in real life.” It’s this kind of feedback that reminds us of the tangible, lifelong benefits language learning brings to students and, ultimately, to society.
Have you experienced a fall in the number of students wanting to take a language at GCSE?
Fortunately, we have not seen a decline in students choosing languages at GCSE. We attribute this to our approach, which makes language learning engaging and relevant to
November 2024
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