developing strong literacy bilingually
DESCRIPTION
First things first: what does bilingual (immersion) education mean now? Conventional view: Contemporary view: Two languages, taught as separate entities (Lambert 1970s) Focus on Form (structure – lexis, syntax, 4 skills) Code-switching and code-mixing – regarded as illegitimate practices Grammar-translation methodology gave way to other methods (direct, audio-lingual, communicative etc.) Two languages, part of student’s repertoire (bilinguality/multilinguality) Focus on (social) process – ‘languaging’ Merill Swain; ‘translanguaging’ Ofelia Garçia Increasing awareness of what bilingual learners do to make meaning Reappraisal of the role of translation and interpretingTRANSCRIPT
developing strong literacy bilingually
Reading and Writing: developing strong literacy bilingually
Kathleen Heugh Research Centre for Languages and Cultures
University of South Australia Bilingual Schools Network MLTAV
Workshop at Camberwell Primary School 11 October 2012 First things
first: what does bilingual (immersion) education mean now?
Conventional view: Contemporary view: Two languages, taught as
separate entities (Lambert 1970s) Focus on Form (structure lexis,
syntax, 4 skills) Code-switching and code-mixing regarded as
illegitimate practices Grammar-translation methodology gave way to
other methods (direct, audio-lingual, communicative etc.) Two
languages, part of students repertoire
(bilinguality/multilinguality) Focus on (social) process languaging
Merill Swain; translanguaging Ofelia Garia Increasing awareness of
what bilingual learners do to make meaning Reappraisal of the role
of translation and interpreting Reading and writing: a continuum
rather than 2 separate skills
What are these students doing? Gaps between early literacy and
academic literacy:language policy & curriculum weakness in most
settings Focus on teaching literacy only to Year 3 Gap between
early literacy Learning to readstories and the kind of literacy
needed across the curriculum Reading to learnscience, mathematics,
history, geography etc. from Year 4 onwards. This involves a mental
(cognitive) jump for all children around the world Gaps between
early literacy and academic literacy - continued
Most children change from local language(s) to English (French or
Portuguese) or a dominant regional language e.g. by the end of year
3 in Africa and India. Attempts to use L2 for teaching &
learning when learners have words, and simple sentence structures
[simple syntax] for whole curriculum which needs words and complex
structures and sentences from year 4 workable. It creates a double
jump for students from a minority community The double jump is too
great. Graph slides Common findings in relation to most language
learning & reading programs
Years 1-3 Years 4-6 Years 6/7+ Student achievement more or less
similar across most reading programs Gaps begin to widen depending
upon program Students in dual language (immersion) programs
outperform other students The potential of immersion programs
Carefully prepared reading across the curriculum in Years 1-3, in
two languages can Remove the double cognitive jump Reduce the
single cognitive jump Between year 3 an 4 (and beyond) Benefits all
children, including those considered vulnerable Carefully prepared
reading across curriculum continued in Years 4-6+ offers greatest
rewards Maximising opportunities for print and reading everywhere
in the school in two or more languages Using students
multilinguality and intercultural knowledge to advance reading and
writing
Teachers who are aware of their students multilinguality can turn
this into powerful literacy (multi-literacy) development. Involving
childrens prior knowledge is important for: Building self-esteem
essential for successful learning Sharing prior knowledge increases
the knowledge base of the entire class Can provide opportunities to
develop both reading and writing resources Encourages cultural
respect and social cohesion Which rules are really necessary in
writing?
Keeping languages separated prevents most multilingual children
from writing and speaking. Mixing languages (code-mixing,
code-switching) is normal. If most vocabulary used in English has
been borrowed and absorbed from other languages, what does this
suggest to us in our teaching contexts? Read Ekkehard Wolff on the
way Ugandan children use access to different language codes to
maintain social controls. Who are the model teachers and which
methods work best?
If your methods work and your students make good progress then you
are doing well. If your methods dont work, ask yourself questions,
and explore alternatives. Dont throw the baby out with the
bathwater. We can all learn from one another. We can add to our
toolbox bit by bit. We only have to add what we understand and what
makes sense to us. What makes sense to me may not make sense to you
and vice versa. Success of Finnish & Swedish learners in
Finland, PISA assessments
Based on regression analyses of both the PISA 2000 and 2003 data,
the single key factors that proved the strongest determinants of
reading literacy performance in Finland were students: Own
interests, attitudes and activities outside school. Finnish
students interest and engagement in reading, which were assessed in
PISA 2003 only as a national option, had the strongest explanatory
power in reading performance, even stronger than parents
socio-economic or cultural status. This was the case in both
language groups, the Finnish and Swedish speakers (Linnakyl, Malin
& Taube, 2006) AND: Finnish children learn to read in 2 / 3
languages: Finnish, Swedish and English; developing high level
bi/triliteracy A few ideas to combine reading and writing across
the curriculum
From an inner city two-way immersion school in Los Angeles (poor
children, weakest group, Year 2): Bilingual Science Experiment
Bilingual Narrative Story Bilingual: bar graphs / maths Based on
genre theory learning to manage the formulae for different writing
requirements provides access to written texts Question: At what
stage, one can build in metacognitive awareness of languaging
(translanguaging), comparisons between languages, translation
skills etc.? Reading and writing in bi/multilingual classrooms
practical examples
Groups: 2 or more languages Task 1a:Proverb (wise saying) Think of
a well-known proverb that is known in different communities (even
if there are some differences) Translate this into the languages of
the group help each other to do this What challenges did you face?
How did you resolve these? Task 1b: Try to turn this into a small
poster or pamphlet with each of the language versions side-by-side
Question: If you could you use a tasklike this in your context,
what would your students learn? What other benefits are there?
Developing strong academic literacy across the curriculum - example
2
Task 2a: In groups with 2 or 3 languages Agree on a simple science
experiment that you all know about Using a typical formula for
writing up the experiment do this, and try to do it in two or three
language versions. Task 2b: Make a list of the scientific
terminology used. What are the similarities and differences between
this terminology in the 2/3 languages of the classroom? Are any of
these words used differently in other contexts? What do you notice
about the structure of the sentences (subjects, objects, verbs)?
Task 2c: How could you help the students to develop their academic
reading and writing of text about experiments? Developing strong
narrative skills in two languages example 3
Task 3: In groups with 2 or more languages Develop a story-line
with the following elements: Title List of characters Setting Plot
Resolution Try to write it up simultaneously stage by stage in as
many language versions as possible. This means co-operative writing
where there are gaps of expertise in some of the languages,
borrowing of vocabulary and code-switching is legitimate. The idea
is to reward and acknowledge diversity not to punish it this will
encourage development in writing and reduce student fear. It also
maximises reading opportunities for the whole class. Simple
materials across the curriculum
The following examples of bilingual materials developed by a young
teacher, Chandni, who works with Tribal children in a slum on the
outskirts of Bhopal. Chandni, without knowing anything about
bilingual education, or the need to extend literacy across the
curriculum translated material from the internet into: Hindi (the
dominant language) and Gondi (the Tribal language), then she
laminated the pages and put them together in a spiral bound book.
Concluding Tips Maximise both reading and writing opportunities in
both languages. The stronger the academic literacy in the L1, the
stronger it will become in the L2. Integration of reading and
writing, and ensuring opportunities for awareness of the formulae
in multiple genres, exponentially increases academic literacy.
Increasing awareness of academic literacy as an ongoing process
across: the entire curriculum and school; Students, staff, parents,
school community. Visibility of bilingual (multilingual) texts
across the school. References Blackledge, Adrian and Angela Creese
Translanguaging as pedagogy in the bilingual classroom.
Multilingualism.A Critical Perspective Garia, Ofelia, Bilingual
education in the 21st century: A global perspective. Oxford:
Wiley-Blackwell. Linnakyl, P.Malin & Taube The Finnish success
in PISA and some reasons behind it. PISA 2003.
https://jyx.jyu.fi/dspace/bitstream/handle/ /37478/ pdf?sequence=1
Slavin, Robert and Cheung, Alan Effective Reading Programs for
English Language Learners: A Best-Evidence Synthesis Swain, Merill
Language, agency and collaboration in advanced second language
proficiency. In Byrnes, Heidi (ed) Advanced Language Learning: The
Contribution of Halliday and Vygotsky. London: Continuum Thomas,
Wayne P. & Collier, Virginia P. (2002). A National Study of
School Effectiveness for Language Minority Students' Long Term
Academic Achievement. George Mason University, CREDE (Center for
Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence). Does reading
approach matter in two-way immersion programs Teaching
EnglishReading in a bilingual classroom. Enrichment Ekkehard Wolff
provides an interesting discussion of how Ugandan children, who
have access to Nubi (an informal code), Ganda, Swahili and English,
make conscious decisions about when to change language
(code-switch) (Wolff 2000). This demonstrates quite clearly that
children are able to make sophisticated decisions about their
language use. The older children use local conventions to decide or
control who is allowed to use which code, and when. The older
children use their social standing (age which requires respect) to
exert power over or control of the younger ones. The younger
children are only allowed to use Nubi and Ganda in the presence of
the older children, whereas the older children will show off their
linguistic power by making use of all of the codes, but use
KiSwahili and English to symbolise their superior status over the
younger children. This study is an excellent example of the social
and political power of language use as well as code-switching.
(http://www.praesa.org.za/files/2012/07/Paper4.pdf).