An exploration of student MFL teachers’ emerging perceptions of decolonising the MFL curriculum

How we teach Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) is currently being questioned in light of growing awareness of coloniality within the secondary curriculum and racial inequalities. Within this context, this research set out to explore the emerging perceptions of five student MFL teachers around decolonising the MFL curriculum during their second teaching placement at one university. Results indicated that whilst student MFL teachers have a theoretical understanding of decolonising the curriculum and are able to address the Eurocentric white narrative of individual lessons, which included the representation of their learners, they felt unable to move away from standalone lessons. Furthermore, individual positionality relating to decolonisation was for the most part absent. Greater support in terms of professional development and collaboration was identified for the future.