Linking parallel worlds
Developing bilingual learning with
complementary and mainstream teachers
Mahera Ruby, Charmian Kenner and
Eve Gregory
Goldsmiths, University of London
Partnerships between primary and
complementary school teachers
(funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Tower Hamlets)
• Collaborative action research on bilingual
learning
• Teachers visit each other’s settings
• Plan jointly around a topic, adapt to own
context
• Deliver lessons and observe each other
• Plan and deliver again
• Supported by Goldsmiths and Tower Hamlets
Languages Service
A two-way exchange
• Mainstream teachers recognise the value of
complementary teachers’ strategies, as well
as vice versa
• Example of James, primary teacher
(music/drama) co-teaching at the primary
school with Zainab (Somali class teacher)
• Children in class mainly British Bangladeshi,
two Somali children, one child from
Afghanistan
Somali song
Arday baan ahayoo, arday baan ahayoo
I am a student, I am a student
Ubaxii waddankaan ahayoo!
I am the flower of this country!
Waxa aan u ordayaa, ordayaa
I am running, running to
Dugsida la aadaa
Attend my school
Inaan aqoon kororsadoo
So I can establish who I am
Dhulkayga anfacoo
And benefit my country
Dadaalkii la imiyee
I have come to work hard
Allahayoow igu gargaar
My God guide me through
Igu gargaar, allahayoow igu gargaar
My God guide me through
Aamiin, Aamiin.
Amen, Amen.
Complementary strategy
Mainstream strategy
recitation of keywords
correcting pronunciation
child as teacher
negotiating translation
children help with spelling
drama to practise meaning
expectations for behaviour
split into 2 groups, each
learn half of song
fine-tune performance
child as leader with support
Recitation and pronunciation
• Zainab leads recitation,
then James
• Practice, performance
• Confidence with new
language
• Playing with language
• Adjusting pronunciation
Child as teacher
• Changes power
relationships
• Multiple practice
• Each child highlights
different aspects
• Fine-tuning learning
• Synergy in teaching and
learning through
exchange with peers
(Gregory, 2001)
James on the child as teacher
‘It’s a more rounded use of resources,
it develops the children in different ways –
self-learning, self-monitoring…
the understanding you get from having to
teach something, to try to explain it,
focusing in your head on what it should be’
Negotiating translation
• Collaborative negotiation of meaning and spelling
in English
• Child may have more expertise than teacher
Learning keywords through drama
Children choose keywords and build into English
sentence, then act out
Expectations for behaviour
James (as Muna and Zainab come up to
teach the song)
‘their students have a lot of respect for
them…so I don’t want to have to tell
you to stop talking when they’re talking’
Groupings for learning the song
Tailoring task to
new learners of
Somali
Chunks of language
Building fluency
Muna and Zainab
take the lead
Fine-tune performance
James requires precision in words, tune,
volume, tone
Complementary teachers also have high
standards for children, expect all to
perform
Child as leader with support
• Zainab asks for children to
volunteer as leader
• She supports the leaders when
they are unsure
• Vygotskyan approach: child’s
capacities are extended with the
help of scaffolding from adult –
meanwhile child scaffolds others
Children’s summary of the lesson aims
• To learn Somali language
• To understand the words / know the
meaning of the words
• To read it out – how to pronounce it
By the end of the lesson they were able
to work out the meaning of the whole
song with help from the Somali
speakers
Equal status of teachers
• James introduced Zainab and Muna:
‘we’re teaching buddies’
• Co-teaching in the mainstream
classroom was conducted seamlessly
and with mutual understanding
• James’ comment on complementary
strategies: ‘it isn’t what you do, and
that’s why it’s good for you to see it’