School languages versus home

languagesDi, Karishma, Sudhashree

NAMASHKAR

你好

Agenda

Summary and connection

Sudhashree, Di, Karishma

Activity One and reflections

Karishma, Sudhashree

Activity two and reflections

Di

Chen, S. H., Zhou, Q., & Uchikoshi, Y. (2021). Heritage language socialization in ChineseAmerican immigrant families: prospective links to children’s heritage languageproficiency

Summary

Family use of HL with Child

HL classes and extracurricular

activities

Importance of HL proficiency

Exposure of HL media

Social relationships with

same ethnicity peers

2 3

4 5

Language socialization processes1

Goals

1. Examine the factor structure of HL socialization processes

2. Test the prospective relations of HL socialization processes and participants’ HL proficiency

Hypothesis

Language socialization processes are positively related to children’s heritage language proficiency.

Methods and Procedures● A Two-wave longitudinal study of 258 Chinese American children of immigrant families● Children who were first-generation or second-generation immigrants were recruited.

Time 1

● Children in 1st or 2nd grade● Family demographic characteristics and

language socialization processes were assessed using parent reports and behavioural observation

Time 2

● Children in 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade● Children’s HLP (Mandarin or Cantonese),

including receptive vocabulary, productive vocabulary, and Chinese literacy were assessed through tests

● Data were analyzed using structural equation modelling

Findings

Significant1.Conversation

with adults2. Extracurricular

activities

Not significant

Parental beliefs and interaction

with peers

Marginally significantMedia

DemographyMix result

Implications

Formal heritage language classesStudents can benefit from extracurricular activities, including formal language instruction, reading books written in HL, etc.

Conversations with caregivers in HLImmigrant parents and caregivers should be encouraged to frequently talk to their children in their HL.

Other Suggestions

Active parent involvement and facilitationChildren's Media exposure is related to the frequencies of parents' speaking of Chinese to children.

Take advantage of the Middle childhood A time of children’s increasing independence and extra-curricular engagement in developing HLP (Hill & Stafford 1980)

Connections with the elective

reading

The role of mother tongue literacy in language learning and mathematical learning: is there a multilingual benefit for both? Dahm, R., & De Angelis, G. (2018).

Research Suggests:

MultilingualsHave significant

advantages in language learning and/or

mathematical learning

Code-switchingCognitive flexibility helps

to solve complex mathematics

Greater metalinguistic knowledge and awareness

Works as a useful tool to learn a new language for

Multilinguals

Mother tongue literacy

helps multilinguals reach native peers faster and perform similarly to

them in mathematical tests.

Activity 01Group discussion

1. Why do you think Chinese media is less helpful in developing children’s Chinese proficiency? How effective did you find the media while learning HL/ a language?

2. Why do you think the parental perception towards HL has little effect on children’s HL proficiency?

Share your thoughts...

Activity 02Math Activity!

17✖4➕8.7➖64.8 = ？Step 1:

- Grab a pen and piece of paper.You have 3 min to solve it individually

Solve the decimal arithmetic problem:

Step 2: - Click on the Jamboard link

https://jamboard.google.com/d/1o0WryT8siUPUQRWTEIzXZfxbzYK9heEsSpbrZRAGoak/edit?usp=sharing

- Breakout room. Find your group number. You have 10 min for discussion and put some notes there

17✖4➕8.7➖64.8 = ？

1. Share the process of solving this problem; what language did you apply? Did you think or read numbers in your mother tongue or L2? Imagine if it’s in a math test; what language will you use? Why?

2. Based on Dahma and De Angelis’ (2018) finding that mother-tongue literacy plays a positive role in language and mathematical learning, from your own experience do you agree with it? Do you think it also works on learning other subjects, such as science?

Discussion Questions:

Activity 2 Reflection

● Prior language background and personal history can be associated with advantages in language learning and/or mathematical learning (Dahma & De Angelis’ 2018).

● Learning to read and write in another language may help children develop and improve cognitive skills, but what factors may impact the development of cognitive skills required for both math and language development should be studied (Dahma & De Angelis’ 2018).

Final thoughts…ধন্যবাদ

THANK YOU

References

Chen, S. H., Zhou, Q., & Uchikoshi, Y. (2021). Heritage language socialization in ChineseAmerican immigrant families: prospective links to children’s heritage language proficiency

Dahm, R., & De Angelis, G. (2018). The role of mother tongue literacy in language learning and mathematical learning: Is there a multilingual benefit for both? International Journal of Multilingualism, 15(2), 194-213. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2017.1359275

Hill, C. R., and F. P. Stafford. (1980). “Parental Care of Children: Time Diary Estimates of Quantity, Predictability, and Variety.” The Journal of Human Resources 15: 219–239. https://doi.org/10.2307/145332

Summary & Reflection

Summary of Activity One

Goals

❖ The primary goal of this activity was to encourage colleagues to analyze the study findings critically

❖ All our colleagues are multilingual speakers and have a range of language learning experiences in formal and informal settings. This activity was planned to motivate them to use their funds of knowledge to understand the correlation found between the language socialization processes and heritage language proficiency

❖ Activity one wanted to create space for sharing each other's thoughts, experiences, learnings while finding answers to the questions in a small group.

❖ The final part of this activity was intended to welcome people who wanted to summarize and share their group discussion with a larger group.

Outcome

❖ Students critically engaged in breakout room discussion and took notes.

❖ They were able to go back to their language learning experiences in different time of their life. This exercise enables students to compare with their language learning experiences as a young language learners and as comparatively older learners.

❖ This activity was aligned with the discussion generated by the earlier presenters where students shared the role of media in acquiring new language skills. The discussion questions helped students to deeply analyze their experience in learning a language by watching TV shows by considering their age of learning the language.

❖ Unfortunately, people in the class were mostly invested their time to discuss the first discussion question and unable to talk about the role of parental perception in acquiring heritage language in depth because of the time constraint.

Link to the discussion notes activity one

Summary of Activity Two

❖ In this math activity, students shared their process of solving the question and what language they applied, whether their heritage language or second language. For example, some colleagues reported they focused on numerical calculation; many said they had used their mother tongue when reading and counting through the process; some reported they tried with both L2 and HL.

❖ Through the activity, our colleagues found that people actually preferred to use the language that they learned math in, so if people learn math or other subjects in their mother tongue, then it would be preferred to use when thinking and solving math problems, but if the learning occurred in the L2, we don't know about it in the mother tongue; thus the L2 would be the preference. Thus, prior language background and personal history can be an asset in language and/or mathematical learning. (Dahma & De Angelis' 2018).

❖ It is an interesting activity, and we are pleased to see that all colleagues enjoyed it. It provoked thoughts on the relationship between mother tongue/L2 and mathematical learning.

Link to the discussion notes Activity Two

Sudhashree:

❖ Media as a language socialization process is primarily passive. However, it has a great potential in facilitating language learning if teachers or caretakers adequately use it. For example, as prof mentioned, media could create space for students to interact with peers.

❖ An interesting theme that emerged from the class discussion around media and language learning was the age factor. While older learners seemed to benefit from media as a language socialization process, younger learners could not learn a new language just by watching TV or listening to music. This relation between age and language learning resembles our earlier class readings and allows us to strengthen our understanding by connecting the information we have gained in the class so far.

❖ One of our colleagues mentioned that although media was not helpful in language learning, it encouraged the person to learn a new language. This statement was supported by prof who once wanted to learn Korean because of her interest in Korean drama. This showcases the role of popular culture in language learning.

❖ Maintaining a language is not as exact as learning a language. While media can be beneficial in maintaining a language, it is challenging for media alone to facilitate learning a new language.

❖ Mathematics learning is deeply related to students' heritage language. So, it becomes commonsensical that people who get the chance to learn the various mathematical concepts in their home language or the language(s) they are most proficient in can better understand them. Therefore, the importance of providing opportunities for all students to learn math in the languages they are most comfortable with is crucial for their academic success.

Di:

❖ From this week's articles, I learned the importance of heritage language, also defined as the mother tongue, for children of immigrant families. The relationship between different socialization processes (including parents' HL use at home, extra-curricular activities, parental attitudes, etc.) and heritage language proficiency has been studied. From the findings of studies, I learned that the frequencies of parents speaking HL at home and the extracurricular activities could be effective for developing and maintaining children's HL. Thus, parents are encouraged to be involved more in children's HL learning process, and formal language instruction is also recommended. One impressive takeaway from activity 1 is the discussion about HL media exposure and its effectiveness. Findings in the article showed a marginally significant impact on children's HLP, so we had a meaningful conversation about the media exposure in the group. It made me realize the possible reasons, including the children's lack of interactions with media and parents' engagement, may cause this phenomenon.

❖ In addition, the impact of mother tongue literacy on mathematical learning has also been examined, and its positive role in both math and language learning has been demonstrated. Overall, articles and group discussions inspired me that HL literacy is valuable to be maintained through parents' involvement and extracurricular activities in the mother tongue, which can be beneficial for both children's mathematical and other language learning.

Karishma❖ The elective reading article reflects that knowing more than one language has a significant

advantage in language learning and also mathematical learning. This cognitive ability enables one to perform faster and often better compare to those who only know one language. They avail the benefits of code-switching. Which helps them to comprehend better and learn faster. Language problem-solving is a distinctive quality of multilingual children. Knowing how to manage two or more languages and using them appropriately is a complex thing for young children. However, parental education and socio-economic status also play a remarkable role in the learning process.

❖ In contrast to this paper, we have designed a mathematical activity and the results were fascinating. Our peers shared their thoughts and process on how they solved it. The outcome gave the inner picture of the solving process. The participants shared that they used the language they learned math in, for example, if one learned math in HL, they preferred HL to solve the math. So it is prominent the multiple language users have their own ways of learning and shifting codes.