National Consortium for Languages Education
IOE – Faculty of Education and Society
Support for Head Teachers
The aim of the NCLE is to re-energise language teaching and learning in state-maintained secondary and primary schools across England. We are committed to strengthening practice through system leadership in languages across England to improve the learning opportunities and outcomes for all pupils. Our actions are informed by the recommendations of the MFL Pedagogy Review 2016.
Recognising the important role headteachers, principals and senior leaders play in advocating for languages, we have pulled together insight and resources that will help you to support and inspire your language department.
How can the NCLE support you?
Our network of Language Hubs aims to increase the number of pupils studying a language at GCSE helping them to improve their attainment in languages. Find out where your local hub is based and encourage your language teachers to make contact and become part of their network.
Languages Teachers Online, our new CPD e-Learning platform will support language teachers to build their knowledge-competencies and skills through research-informed, evidence-based professional development. This digital learning space will be available from December 2024. In the meantime, you can join our mailing list to keep up-to-date.
With one in every five of pupils already speaking a heritage language other than English, we are advocating for home, heritage and community languages. We can give you advice on how to strengthen links with your local community, support your pupils and boost your EBacc results. Read this guidance document.
The value of languages in education
It is well-recognised that languages play a central part in providing a rich, broad and balanced curriculum for all pupils, supporting social mobility and improving career outcome. Learning a language develops a range of transferable skills including cognitive and creative thinking, empathy and tolerance as well as cultural agility that supports the development of young people’s personal, social and cultural education. In addition, languages are transformational, opening the door to international travel and building friendships around the world.
As we recognise the full repertoire of our pupils’ languages spoken as home, heritage and community languages, we can empower young people and strengthen their aspirations and self-efficacy, whilst having a positive impact on social cohesion in the wider community.
How can you support language learning in your school?
If you don’t have a background in language teaching (or even if you do!), you might be wondering how to demonstrate your support for language learning in your school.
Here are some questions you might want to ask your Head of Languages. These are taken from a comprehensive list on pages 20-21 of the MFL Pedagogy Review.
- How certain are we that the highest achieving pupils are progressing well while those needing more support are not demotivated?
- How do you provide for the teaching of phonics in your Scheme of Learning? Is it appropriately planned and well-sequenced?
- Is the teaching of vocabulary appropriately planned and well-sequenced? How has the selection of vocabulary been decided? Is it informed by frequency of occurrence?
- How is the teaching of grammar planned and well-sequenced? How does assessment of grammar teaching inform corrective or remedial teaching or intervention? What core grammatical features will pupils have mastered by the end of each year?
- Do you provide opportunities for your learners to engage with stimulating, culturally rich content, developing knowledge of the culture, history and literature of the countries where the language is spoken?
- Are there ample opportunities for pupils to engage with ‘real’ speakers of the languages being taught? For example is this using visits, where possible, internet and virtual communication opportunities, or other opportunities such as foreign language assistants?
Further Resources
- Support language learning in your school by hosting a modern language assistant, encouraging partnerships with schools in a different country or planning a school exchange.
- If you’re looking to support German in your school, GIMAGINE offers exciting projects to motivate students, provides tangible resources and materials, and can provide teaching services to schools who face an HR shortage.
- For insight into the role and benefits of language learning, we recommend Cognitive benefits of language learning: broadening our perspectives by Professor Bencie Woll FBA and Professor Li Wei, published by the British Academy.
