Language Acquisition at MLC School
Language acquisition is one of the corner stones of an MLC School education.
This is not news to anyone but it’s worth reflecting on just how embedded this is within the fabric of our School.
When considering our Learning Dispositions, the connections are profound.
Learning a new language requires us to crawl inside the unique culture and history that has shaped the form and function of different languages. This is the foundation of Empathy.
Learning how to truly and deeply listen for understanding, not just waiting for your turn to speak, is a skill developed and assessed explicitly in Languages. This is at the heart of Collaboration.
As we learn a new language we are forced to reflect on the power of our own words to convey meaning, create connections, and solve problems. This is Self-Awareness and Accountability.
To overthrow the “tyranny of the mother tongue” requires more than just time and discipline, it takes genuine Curiosity and Open-Mindedness to convince the brain to lease neuronal real estate from the ultimate cerebral landlord, English.
Like learning to swim, to master a musical instrument or to play a team sport, learning a language is something we know as adults adds layers of opportunities to our children’s future. Whether or not we continue these things throughout our lives, the legacy of having engaged in them at an early age leaves its mark in a million rich moments of connection with others.
I came to learn Spanish in my 20s to aid me in my holiday occupation of working as an expedition leader to Peru for Antipodeans Australia. It served this initial purpose but since then it has led to so much more. I have a litany of humorous stories of failed attempts to order food, reserve a room, or navigate the streets of Cuzco. I had the confidence to immerse myself in a culture that rewarded me a thousand fold for each layer I peeled back. I have a Peruvian god-daughter, a seriously troubling addiction to Inca Cola and an equally concerning love of pan-flute music all thanks to the doors opened to me through language.
Maybe more importantly, I am a much more reflective student of my own mother tongue, as twisted as it sometimes gets.
We built our policy of Language Acquisition at MLC School for all these reasons and more.
MLC School is committed to ensuring our girls develop the skills and attributes they will need to grapple with issues that affect their world. By providing an opportunity for them to acquire an additional language, students gain an understanding of the wider context in which they live; and engage more fully with their local and international community.
Language acquisition is the fundamental premise upon which the MLC School Language program is developed. This means students study a language other than English and in which they do not already have a significant cultural or linguistic background.
Our commitment to the delivery of our Language acquisition program commences in Junior School and acknowledges the important role that language acquisition plays in the overall development of student literacy, as well as building the capacity for our girls to become effective language learners in the later years.
The Language program at MLC School develops girls’ understanding of the nature and structure of language and enhances mental dexterity through the study of linguistic systems and patterns. As well as the academic challenge of learning an unfamiliar language, girls attain intercultural understanding and develop empathy and respect for diverse cultures.
LANGUAGE ACQUISITION IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL
Our Junior School Language program aims to skill students to become effective languagelearners, setting them up for success as they pursue their study of languages in the Senior School. Learning an unfamiliar language also leads to improved general literacy and confidence.
Learning a language also facilitates the development of cultural awareness and sensitivity: girls become more accepting of diversity, more respectful of others and more aware of their place in the international community. It strengthens their understanding of the nature of language, of culture, and of the processes of communication.
The Junior School language offered through the curriculum is Italian.
This means that girls from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 4 undertake the study of Italian. Chinese (Mandarin) can be studies as a co-curricular option.
Year 6 girls gain a taste of languages that are available to them as electives in Year 7, through a carousel program by term.
Why learn Italian?
The vast majority of Junior School students do not have a strong linguistic background in Italian. Italian is also not offered in Year 7 to Year 10. This provides an opportunity for our Junior School students to develop skills in acquiring another unfamiliar language as they enter the Senior School.
LANGUAGES YEARS 7 – 10
Currently, the School offers French, Japanese, Mandarin and Indonesian for Year 7 electives, this may change depending on demand. Every student must study a language from Year 7 to Year 10 at MLC School.
– Chris Barnes
Assistant Head of Senior School – Academic Care and Administration