Encouraging language learning with MFL Mentoring at Cardiff University
The MFL Mentoring team is on a mission to support young people through free language mentoring and resources.
As they were reviewing their approach to training mentors, a colleague suggested they speak to us. As a languages graduate herself, our director Leah was particularly excited to work on this project!
Background
MFL Mentoring began in 2015 to support Welsh Government’s Global Futures strategy to increase the number of young learners taking languages in Wales. The team trains up mentors - university students who engage with secondary schools across Wales - to improve motivation for language learning and promote a multilingual, global mindset.
The MFL Mentoring team came to us with lots of thoughtfully-designed materials and a lovely bright colour scheme, so we knew we had to come up with a module design that would be in keeping with their approach...
Project details
Our initial design went through a few iterations! It was vital to find a colour palette that was both in keeping with MFL Mentoring branding and optimised for accessibility, plus a icon set that was fun and visually appealing while being extensive enough to capture a wide range of concepts.
The MFL Mentoring team had already done a great job of curating different learning resources and designing reflective and communicative activities for prospective mentors, including Padlets to facilitate sharing and discussion. As well as embedding these within the modules, we worked with the team to develop interactive activities to check learners' understanding of key points.
Project lead Lucy Jenkins said: “We loved the collaborative approach. Being able to work closely with Leah and Finn meant that we were really able to make the most out of the process and maximise opportunities to enhance learning where possible. Their communication throughout was fantastic and their responsiveness to changing needs was really brilliant."
Impact
Lucy said: “the online modules really enhanced the student experience of training with us and will offer an exciting way to generate potential partnerships in the future.“
We went on to run a digital accessibility training session for the MFL Mentoring team to help them identify ways in which they could make their resources more inclusive. One attendee commented: “It will definitely change the way in which I design educational materials.”