The above activities are examples of good practice. They provide effective learning opportunities for pupils to value diversity and challenge racism. They focus on helping pupils understand and appreciate aspects of cultural difference and linguistic diversity, while challenging and extending their perceptions of themselves and other people.

A multicultural dimension can be built into the teaching of MFL through:

• curriculum provision: offering a range of languages and emphasising their equal status;
• the scheme of work for a language: including opportunities to explore the culture of countries and communities where the target language is spoken;
• the choice of teaching contexts: including a variety of contexts that cover different social and ethnic groups;
• avoiding stereotypes.

What is the potential in the MFL curriculum for valuing diversity and challenging racism?

The national curriculum programme of study and the QCA/DfES schemes of work for MFL provide starting points for valuing diversity and challenging racism in the classroom. The national curriculum statutory inclusion statement sets out schools' responsibilities for meeting the needs of all pupils and provides examples of how this can be achieved.

When learning a foreign language, pupils also learn about the different countries, cultures, people and communities that are associated with that language. The national curriculum programme of study for MFL includes the following requirements:

Key stages 3 and 4

Developing cultural awareness

Pupils should be taught about different countries and cultures by:

• working with authentic materials in the target language, including some from ICT-based sources;
• communicating with native speakers;
• considering their own culture and comparing it with the cultures of the countries and communities where the target language is spoken;
• considering the experiences and perspectives of people in these countries and communities.

Requirements 4a and 4b provide pupils with opportunities to come into direct contact with aspects of different cultures. Requirements 4c and 4d ask pupils to reflect on cultural similarities and differences, and to empathise with native speakers of the language they are learning. These requirements are particularly relevant for teaching pupils to value cultural diversity.

The non-statutory guidelines for key stage 2 contain similar statements (2a, 2b and 2c).

MFL teaching promotes pupils' cultural development by providing them with insights into cultural differences and opportunities to relate these to their own experience, and to consider different cultural and linguistic traditions, attitudes and behaviours.

What are the implications for teaching and learning?

The national curriculum statutory inclusion statement describes schools' responsibility to provide a curriculum that meets the specific needs of individuals and groups of pupils. The statement sets out three principles that are essential to developing an inclusive curriculum:

• setting suitable learning challenges;
• responding to pupils' diverse learning needs;
• overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils.

The statement also provides examples of how this responsibility can be met.

Effective teaching in modern foreign languages can make a significant contribution to pupils’ ability to value diversity and challenge racism, by providing opportunities for pupils to:

• discover that many different languages are spoken throughout the world, and that many languages are spoken in a number of different countries and by people from different ethnic backgrounds;
• recognise that understanding another language promotes a deeper appreciation of speakers of that language and of their culture;
• learn that the ability to communicate with speakers of other languages can nurture mutual respect, tolerance and understanding;
• appreciate that speakers of different languages may have beliefs, attitudes, behaviours and experiences that are of equal worth;
• communicate in the target language, in pairs and groups, with their teacher and with native speakers, and thereby learn the importance of listening carefully to others and of conveying a clear message;
• appreciate the effort required by speakers to communicate successfully in a language that is not their first language.

Principles to inform teaching and learning

Every language and all speakers of that language should be respected

Pupils should be encouraged to recognise and accept linguistic difference and to take a positive approach to learning and using a new language. Comparisons between the target language and English, or another language, need to be objective and free of prejudice. Learning to understand and use another language is a constant challenge to pupils and involves the need to adapt their own linguistic identity. Teachers need to manage this process carefully, making pupils aware of the plurality of languages and cultures, and encouraging them to move away from an Anglocentric or ethnocentric perspective.

Developing cultural awareness is an integral part of learning another language

From the earliest stages of learning a foreign language, pupils can learn about the countries and communities where the language is spoken, their culture, traditions and way of life. Although the main focus of teaching and learning will be on developing pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding in the target language, schemes of work for each key stage should cover cultural aspects and, where appropriate, different ethnic groups among native speakers.