What are the benefits of hosting a Modern Language Assistant?
MLAs can transform language teaching in your school. Trafford's MLAs are trained and provided with the support and resources to enable them to lead the learning, working in tandem with the class-teacher to improve linguistic ability and raise cultural awareness. Hosting a MLA adds an invaluable resource that the classroom teacher can use to grow their own language abilities and confidence, supporting their own continuous professional development. You can also be assured that language teaching is allocated the timetable time that it needs each week.
MLAs can:
- model conversation, songs, games and activities with students
- help pupils practise their speaking skills, especially pronunciation and intonation
- introduce students to aspects of their culture and inspire an international outlook
- contribute to cross-curricular work in collaboration with other subject areas
- encourage students to be more ambitious and outgoing, as well as helping them develop the ability to communicate their world views.
MLAs are university graduates and will normally have some experience of working with children. However, as most MLAs are not qualified teachers, they should not be asked to take sole responsibility for a whole class, deal with discipline issues or mark pupils’ work outside the classroom. The class-teacher should be present at all times and be actively involved in the language lessons, taking joint ownership of the language learning. As a result of the project, teachers should soon develop the confidence to reinforce language learning through small parcels of language activities throughout the week.
MLAs can develop projects and extra-curricular activities (e.g. lunchtime clubs) focused on their country’s culture and even support the creation and/or development of an international partnership with their home country.
Schools employing a MLA will be eligible to apply for the foundation level of the British Council’s International School Award.
