Advice
Find out:
· What is George’s level of language competence in English and Tagalog - which language is stronger?
· Does George use spoken words at home? In which language is his understanding better?
· Are George’s family aware of extra curricular groups and activities where George can socialise with peers who are good models of English?
Advice:
· It is important to speak with George’s parents. An interpreter should be requested to ensure George’s mum can take part in discussion. Ask George’s parents and consult with the EAL Teacher.
· Where parents have different first languages as in this case, there are different approaches that the family can take. The important thing will be that they are consistent in their language use:
§ ‘one person, one language’ approach: In this method, when mum is alone with George she should use Tagalog. When dad is alone with George, he should use English. When mum and dad are with him, they should use whichever language they normally converse in together, in this case English. The most important thing is that they are consistent. George will quickly learn when each language used and will be exposed to good models of both languages. Being fluent in two languages would provide an excellent foundation for him to acquire English (Cummins Common Underlying Proficiency)
§ Time and Place is where parents choose a time and or place to use each language. Again the key is to ensure consistency and to ensure there is plenty of input in each language.
§ Minority language at home is at it sounds, using the majority language (English) in the community and the minority language at home. This may not be practical in George’s case as his parents do not share the same first language.
· Provide George’s parents with the Be Bilingual Leaflet (available in a range of languages from the Resources section) and point them to Baker’s Book if they are interested. A Parents' and Teachers' Guide to Bilingualism (Parents' and Teachers' Guides): Amazon.co.uk: Baker, Colin ISBN 978-1847690005
· It is normal for bilingual children to pick up their parents’ accent and pronunciation but influence of the parent’s first language can become less apparent as children are exposed to models of English at Nursery. (Baker explains that the brain is more flexible and open to learning new sounds before the age of seven).
· If mum is using English with George but does not have a well-developed level of English, she will not be providing a good model of language. If that is his main model of language then he will be likely to pick up the same errors in pronunciation and grammar but will not have a fluent other language on which to build. EAL advice would be for mum to use her best language with George.
At Nursery:
· Staff can use first language (L1) resources such as dual language books, audiobooks, English and L1 nursery rhymes to support George in feeling comfortable at nursery and to provide examples of both languages in context. Books and photographs of common nursery routines can be shared with George’s family and they can be encouraged to discuss nursery at home.
· George will be supported by lots of exposure to good models of English, supported by visuals and clear gestures. There are lots of tips and advice on how to support George’s acquisition of English in the ‘General advice’ section.
Further advice:
Learning in 2+ Languages Section 1 (Introduction to bilingualism) p20 (Partnership with parents/carers)
Bilingual Families p38 (how does bilingualism develop at age 0-3?), P50 (how does bilingualism develop at age 0-3?)
Primary Teachers’ ALDO Course (EAL Training)
HGIOS Inclusion and Equality Series Part 4: EEPBL p20 (Partnership with parents)
See also:
· 2.7 – Partnerships
· 3.2 – Raising Attainment and Achievement (Positive effect on educational attainment for bilingual learners who develop both languages to an academic level)
UNCRC Article 29, 30
