MFL Mentoring

MFL Mentoring is a Welsh-Government funded project that promotes multilingualism in secondary schools to help tackle the declining number of learners opting to study International Languages at GCSE level.

Launched in 2015, the project partners students from nine Welsh universities with secondary schools across Wales, to deliver engaging mentoring sessions and/or workshops to learners in Years 7-9. The aim of the mentoring isn’t to teach a specific language, learn grammar rules or recite vocabulary lists. Rather, the purpose of the sessions is to allow mentors and mentees to explore languages and cultures together, helping learners to see the relevance of languages to their future.

Why does the project exist?

Fewer than 11% of learners take a GCSE in an International Language (French, Spanish or German). So, our mission and vision is to:

encourage learners to be curious about all languages and cultures
challenge perspectives and assumptions about others
promote a sense of global community
celebrate cultural and linguistic diversity
highlight how languages support careers and wellbeing

Why? So that our future generations have the skills they need to thrive in our globalised world.

Students

What is a Language and Culture Mentor?

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Our Language and Culture Mentors deliver engaging sessions and workshops about language, culture, and identity, rather than teaching a particular language. The ultimate aim is to excite learners in Wales about other languages and cultures and help them to discover how this multicultural mindset will be beneficial to them, whatever they may do in the future.

Mentors are partnered with a secondary school and deliver up to six mentoring sessions with a small group of learners (mentoring) OR deliver up to five one-off workshops to full classes (workshops).

Why take part?

bursary – mentors receive a bursary of £200 to £250 per semester for each school placement that they complete
professional development
classroom experience
meeting like-minded people
transferable skills
mentor training
professional reference
accreditation – mentors have the option to complete a valuable vocational accreditation delivered by AgoredCymru to boost their CVs
transform attitudes towards languages and cultures

Schools

What does the project offer?

Our student mentors work with pre-GCSE learners who indicate they are unsure about studying International Languages for GCSE. With their mentor, they consider and evolve their attitudes towards International Languages. Learners will enjoy exploring languages and cultures alongside their mentor and will be encouraged to see International Languages as existing beyond the classroom and as part of their future, not only for their career but also for their wellbeing.

Our work also supports learners to progress towards the four purposes of the Curriculum for Wales, encouraging cross-curricular links and empowering learners to appreciate a wider global perspective.