[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-135725-en":3,"doc-seo-135725-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":91},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":20,"is_downloadable":20,"audit_status":20,"page_count":21,"language":22,"language_code":23,"site_id":24,"html_lang":23,"table_of_contents":25,"faqs":26,"seo_title":27,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},135725,962084925502,"Emma Mercer","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8",2,"Literature","Breaking Out - Film in the MFL Classroom","Chapter 5 explores how film functions as a distinctive learning medium in the MFL classroom, arguing that it aligns with National Curriculum aims such as curiosity, deeper understanding, new ways of thinking, motivation, comprehension, and expression. It examines content benefits including intercultural competence, authentic cultural insight, and contextualized linguistic and para-linguistic language use. It also outlines classroom activities using short films and highlights how accessible editing software and growing curriculum research support effective, creative teaching.","Chapter 5 Breaking Out: Film in the MFL Classroom  \nWhat is distinctive about film as a medium for learning?  \nThe use of film is an exciting way to enrich learning in the MFL classroom. Its inclusion in schemes of work and lessons might, at first glance, seem precluded by the National Curriculum (QCA 2013) as its references to translation, transcription and accuracy may appear to encourage a more traditional approach to the teaching of MFL. The mention of the study of literary texts would seem to reinforce this suggestion and leave little space for the inclusion of the medium of film in a school’s scheme of work. In an environment increasingly focused on outcomes and the demonstration of student progress, it is easily argued that the incorporation of film into a crowded curriculum is a luxury which cannot be afforded. Closer inspection, however, shows that film can serve a number of the aims which the National Curriculum lists. It can for example ‘foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world’, help them ‘learn new ways of thinking’(2013:1) and provides content beyond students’ ‘immediate needs and interests ’ (2013:2) and also gives a strong motivation to develop comprehension skills and to ‘express ideas and thoughts.’ (2013:3). We might therefore consider the new Key Stage 3 curriculum as offering the possibility of looking beyond the immediately transactional and functional uses of language that are presented in directly ‘relevant’ situations, and toreconsider the notion that foreign language learning is a cultural pursuit. Film is an art form and cultural medium that has much potential to enrich the foreign languages learning experience, in terms of introducing aspects of daily life that give important insights to the countries and people where the foreign language is spoken. It is also an accessible form of‘enrichment culture’ (Lawes 2007: 89)– including literature, poetry and art-that is now being emphasised more in the MFL curriculum. How film can enhance the motivation and attainment of learners from an early stage is slowly being recognised as creating ‘meanings that matter’for learners (Dearing 2007:15) through the unravelling of the conventions and layers of meaning that are unique to film as an art form.  \nIn terms of content, film can develop learners’ intercultural competence (Pegrum 2008) and cultural knowledge and give them an unprecedented insight into the target language culture. This insight is authentic and accessible and places language in context in a unique way. Whilst highlighting the unique aspects of the target language culture, film also serves to reinforce the similarities between students ’ lives and those of others and help break down potential barriers. Linguistically, film offers an accurate representation of language in use anda ‘wealth of contextualised linguistic and para-linguistic terms and expressions’ (King 2010: 510). This means that learners can witness language as a living phenomenon and as a vehicle for communicating meaning in real contexts. Film offers a rich and substantial experience of the ‘forms of life’ of a culture – with music and voice, performance, setting, all scaffolded by stories that sweep a viewer along. Short films in particular offer very powerful experiences for teachers and learners. They are often more like poems than feature films – rich, densely allusive texts, whose stories are told in the language of pure cinema, principally because, as they are mostly only shown in film festivals, it is expensive and counterproductive to use lots of dialogue. Typically, short films, or ‘shorts’, are only 4 – 6 minutes in length which means that they can be fully explored in their entirety. The sorts of activities include watching and discussing, inferring and predicting in the target language, and of course learning about a range of film styles, periods and genres. In addition to the linguistic and cultural benefits, film can be a powerful motivator f","cbCaic4JlqwALgsi","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaic4JlqwALgsi","pdf",196508,1,12,"English","en",105,"# Chapter 5 Breaking Out: Film in the MFL Classroom\n## What is distinctive about film as a medium for learning?\n## How film can enrich MFL lessons","[{\"question\":\"Why is film considered an effective learning medium in the MFL classroom?\",\"answer\":\"Film enriches learning by supporting curiosity, deepening understanding of the world, developing thinking, increasing motivation, and strengthening comprehension and learners’ ability to express ideas in the target language.\"},{\"question\":\"What learning benefits does film provide beyond language practice?\",\"answer\":\"Film develops intercultural competence and cultural knowledge through authentic, accessible insight. It also reinforces similarities between learners’ lives and others’ lives, helping reduce barriers.\"},{\"question\":\"How can short films be used in classroom teaching?\",\"answer\":\"Short films are typically 4–6 minutes, making them fully explor able. Teachers can organize activities such as watching and discussing, inferring and predicting in the target language, and exploring film styles, periods, and genres.\"}]","Breaking Out - Film in the MFL Classroom | PDF",1787318810,18,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":24,"language":23,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":86,"head_meta":88,"extra_data":90,"updated_unix":28},"breaking-out-film-in-the-mfl-classroom","",{"@graph":36,"@context":85},[37,53,68],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,47,50],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":11},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",{"item":48,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":49},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/literature/",3,{"item":51,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":52},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/breaking-out-film-in-the-mfl-classroom/135725/",4,{"url":51,"name":13,"@type":54,"author":55,"headline":13,"publisher":57,"fileFormat":60,"inLanguage":23,"description":14,"dateModified":61,"datePublished":62,"encodingFormat":60,"isAccessibleForFree":63,"interactionStatistic":64},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":56},"Person",{"url":41,"name":58,"@type":59},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-09-05","2026-08-21",true,{"@type":65,"interactionType":66,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":67},"ViewAction",{"@type":69,"mainEntity":70},"FAQPage",[71,77,81],{"name":72,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":74},"Why is film considered an effective learning medium in the MFL classroom?","Question",{"text":75,"@type":76},"Film enriches learning by supporting curiosity, deepening understanding of the world, developing thinking, increasing motivation, and strengthening comprehension and learners’ ability to express ideas in the target language.","Answer",{"name":78,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":79},"What learning benefits does film provide beyond language practice?",{"text":80,"@type":76},"Film develops intercultural competence and cultural knowledge through authentic, accessible insight. It also reinforces similarities between learners’ lives and others’ lives, helping reduce barriers.",{"name":82,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":83},"How can short films be used in classroom teaching?",{"text":84,"@type":76},"Short films are typically 4–6 minutes, making them fully explor able. Teachers can organize activities such as watching and discussing, inferring and predicting in the target language, and exploring film styles, periods, and genres.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":51,"og:type":87,"og:title":13,"og:site_name":58,"og:description":14},"article",{"robots":89,"canonical":51},"index,follow",{"doc_id":7,"site_id":24},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":92},[93,97,100,104,109,114,119,124,129,132,136],{"id":20,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":94,"show_sort_weight":95,"slug":96},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":11,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":12,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},80,"literature",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":105,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":110,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":120,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":122,"slug":123},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":125,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":126,"show_sort_weight":127,"slug":128},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":130,"show_sort_weight":127,"slug":131},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":133,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":134,"show_sort_weight":133,"slug":135},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":137,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":138,"show_sort_weight":105,"slug":139},19,"General","general"]