Bilingualism
Many children enter our schools speaking (and in some cases reading and writing) one or more other languages. English is for them an additional language, making them bilingual or multi-lingual. Bilingualism, is the ability to communicate in more than one language; the ability may be the same in both languages or may be greater in one than others. Bilingual learners also have exposure to another culture and so are also bicultural.
Bilingual pupils will be at differing stages of their language development and lie on a spectrum from ‘Beginner Bilingual’ to 'Advanced bilingual' - those learners who have had considerable exposure to an environment within which
English is the first language and thus are no longer in the early stages of
English language acquisition [Ofsted].
As Deryn Hall states , 'In England, the term ,bilingual, is currently used to refer to pupils who live in two languages, who have access, or need to use, two or more languages at home and at school. It does not mean that they have fluency in both languages or they are competent and literate in both languages' [Deryn Hall, Assessment of the needs of bilingual pupils , 1995]
One frequently asked question about bilingual learners is ‘Children have to learn English if they are going to achieve in the English school system. Does it not make sense then to use as much English as possible right from the start?
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In order to address this question, we need to see Bilingualism as being an asset, and understand that the first language supports the development of additional languages. This has been very carefully researched and has strong academic support.
An important tenet in both the Secondary National Strategy and the Primary
National Strategy is the importance given to facilitating the continued development of the first language alongside English. Through research it has been established very clearly that the first language has an important role in cognitive and academic development and supports the acquisition of English.
It is easier to transfer a concept, skills and understandings learned in the first language than it is to learn them in an additional language
To enable schools to develop their skills in developing the bilingual child and enabling their language to be used to support their learning, Hertfordshire’s
Minority Ethnic Curriculum Support Service has a specialist team of consultants who work alongside teachers to develop inclusive classroom teaching and learning. This can be done by showing an interest in the languages used by the children, celebrating the linguistic diversity in the classroom, enabling peer talk in first language and using bilingual adults effectively. This develops children ’s self esteem and self confidence and boosts their ability to participate in learning.
Another concern that is often expressed is, how can children be expected to learn National Curriculum subjects when they don't speak English? Shouldn't they be taught English before being expected to access the curriculum?
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Bilingual children have the right to be offered work at an appropriate level of cognitive challenge. This is possible through providing linguistic and contextual support. The whole curriculum is an ideal language-learning syllabus providing learners with opportunities for speaking as well as listening and use of the new language with peers as well as adults. The need to use
English in order to access the curriculum provides learners with a real purpose for using the new language.
In Hertfordshire, we have provided an English as an Additional Language programme devised by the Primary National Strategy to a number of schools and delivered by our specialist EMA consultants. This has been extended to a number of other school on the basis of very positive local and national evaluations.
In summary the case for Bilingualism is now embedded in good teaching and learning which is now driving up standards of achievement and this has been supported by published materials for professional development by both
Primary and Secondary National Strategies. These professional development materials will form the basis of training that Hertfordshir e’s EMA consultants will be delivering to schools over the coming year, to promote the key message about the positive values of being bilingual.
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