Meaning & use
MFL
Last updated
Meaning
abbreviationuncountableBritish
Short for modern foreign languages, the school subject area covering languages such as French, German and Spanish that are taught as second languages.
Grammar: Treated as a subject name and takes a singular verb: MFL is popular here.
Patterns
- teach MFL
- an MFL teacher
She trained as an MFL teacher and now runs the department.
Our school offers MFL from the first year.
He chose MFL over art for his final two years.
Common combinations
- MFL teacher
- The MFL teacher organized a trip to Paris.
- MFL department
- The MFL department is hiring a Spanish specialist.
- MFL lesson
- Our first MFL lesson is on Monday morning.
- study MFL
- Fewer pupils study MFL at advanced level than before.
Synonyms and how they differ
- foreign languages
- This is the everyday phrase and works in any country, whereas MFL is a British school label.
- modern languages
- This is the full spoken form, often used for a university degree rather than a school timetable slot.
Word family
Commonly confused: MFL or ESL?
MFL vs ESL
ESL means English as a second language and is about learning English, while MFL is about learning other languages in a school where English is the main language.
Practice
Which school subject area does MFL refer to?
Choose one answer.
MFL stands for modern foreign languages. The other options are different subject groups.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “MFL”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.