Language Acquisition

“Languages are our most important link to the world around us. Language is culture in motion. It is people interacting with people (Savignon, 1983)”.

At Ebbsfleet Academy, we encourage students to understand and appreciate the plethora of transferable skills and opportunities that languages have to offer. 

We make it known that in an increasingly globalised economy, where change is constant, there is no such thing as a static lingua franca. As mobility and communications bind the world much closer together, the need for global citizens to be competent in other languages is more of a prerequisite than an activity afforded to a few affluent enthusiasts.  

Once students embark on their language learning journey, they are exposed to the liberation of insularity, develop empathy and enhance their cultural capital.

Our aim is to kindle an awareness of and open doors to some of the world’s greatest thinkers, philosophers and musicians.

Exposure to languages, enables our students to develop their metalinguistic understanding by allowing them to draw consistent comparisons between their own language and the target language and learn about the etymology of words.

By creating an accessible platform students are empowered to contribute their ideas, engage in the art of critical thinking and strengthen their communicative skills which in turn will benefit them in all spheres of their future lives.

Taking all of the aforementioned into account, we realize that we are in a very privileged position. We endeavour to dispel long-held myths concerning language acquisition and aim to foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world.

We also want to attempt to ignite a  long-burning passion for linguistics for “to have another language is to possess a second soul”. (Attributed to Charlemagne)

MFL Department’s Collaborative Vision:

We want to:

• Instil a love of learning and an appreciation for languages by delivering a challenging curriculum that is innovative and stretches every student.
• Develop our learners into critical thinkers and provide a platform where they can contribute their ideas and develop their linguistic skills.
• Liberate students from insularity whilst developing empathy and understanding of other cultures. 
• Develop students’ metalinguistic understanding by enabling them to draw consistent comparisons between their first language and the target language. Thus strengthening their knowledge of the English language and practical control of the target language.
• Increase student autonomy and make them relevant via project based learning
• Ensure that all four skills are covered with equal focus and build a strong foundation in grammar and enable our learners to reflect on their progress through the use of Fit folders and assessments. 
• Make progress realistic- each module is linked to the previous one, enabling knowledge to be transferred and recycled, thus strengthening memory and metacognition.
• Prepare students for the world of work by teaching them transferable skills
• To be successful in the GCSE exam