developing bilingual learning2.ppt

8/14/2019 Developing bilingual learning2.ppt

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Developing bilingual learning

strategies in mainstream andcommunity contexts

(ESRC-funded study 2006-07)

Charmian Kenner, Salman Al-Azami,Eve Gregory, Mahera Ruby

Department of Educational Studies,Goldsmiths College London


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Bilingual learning:aspects to investigate

Transfer of concepts(Cummins, 1984)

Translation/interpretation(Creese, 2004)

Linking with cultural worlds(Martin-Jones &Saxena, 2003)

Increasing knowledge about howlanguage works(Bialystok, 2001)

Learner identities(Cummins, 1996; Creese,Bhatt, Bhojani & Martin, 2006)


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The research context

Two primary schools in Tower Hamlets, East London

Second/third generation British Bangladeshi children,mostly more fluent in English than Sylheti/Bengali

(Bangla)Children also attend community classes in Bengaliand/or Arabic

Achieving highly at primary school

Sois bilingual learning in mainstreamschool relevant or necessary?


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The childrens views


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Participant children

School A

Year 2 (age 7)4 children


School B




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Methodology: action research

Observe children in community class

Plan bilingual tasks in literacy and numeracyfor each group, relevant to mainstream curriculum,

linking with community class learningInvolve community and mainstream teachers inplanning

Children do task, watch video and comment(stimulated recall)

Discuss data with teachers at end-of-term seminar

Repeat process in second term


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Year 6 studying a chora(Bengali poem)


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Aspects of learning

Bengali literary heritagepoem contains metaphorand imagery, also known to children as lullaby

Teacher keen to work on comparative literature:

compare with lullaby in English

Involve parents to understand poem more deeply

Use Reciprocal Reading strategy to share findings ingroup


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The chora: transliterated and translated

Aai aai chad mama Come come uncle moon

aai aai chad mama tip die ja

Come come uncle moon and touch the forehead

chader kopale chad tip die ja

Moon come and touch the forehead of the moon

dhan banle kuro debo

When the rice is made will give you the husk

mach katle muro debo

When the fish is cut will give you the head

kalo gaer dudh deboWill give you the milk of the black cow

dudh khabar bati debo

Will give you the bowl for the milk

chader kopale chad tip die ja

Moon come and touch the forehead of the moon


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Lullaby in English

Hush, Little Baby

Hush, little baby, dont say a word,

Papas gonna buy you a mockingbird.

And if that mockingbird dont sing,

Papas gonna buy you a diamond ring.

And if that diamond ring turns to brass,

Papas gonna buy you a looking glass.

And if that looking glass gets broke,

Papas gonna buy you a billy goat.

And if that billy goat wont pull,

Papas gonna buy you a cart and bull.

And if that cart and bull fall down,

Youll still be the sweetest little baby in town.

Q i f


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Questions for parents


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Comparison: Venn diagram


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Reciprocal Reading

Sharing findings from parent interviews

Each child took a role: (eg questioner,summariser)

Children added to or amended informationfrom interviews

Clarified their understanding of the chora

Took place entirely in Englishwhy?


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Further development

Rhythm of poems, using drums

Writing own poem with support from Nasima

(Teaching Assistant)Creating bilingual display for school foyer


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The childrens poem

Fruits

We get mangoes and jackfruits in

summer

White berries, black berries,

Black grapes, green grapes,

Yellow-coloured ripe bananas,

Green-coloured tender bananas,

Sour berries, sweet berries,

Taste very sweet.


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Conceptual transfer

Understanding metaphor and imagerythrough working in more than one language

Not straightforward transfer of similarconcept

Clarification of complex ideas throughdiscussion


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Translation/interpretation

Transliteration as translation

Gives children and teacher access to chora

Enables children to express ideas in writingBridge between Sylheti and Standard Bengali

Interlingual and intralingual

Translation between phonic systems


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Linking with cultural worlds

Learning more about own culture

Texts include different aspects ofchildrens experience:Bangla/school/popular culture

Venn diagram highlights differences incultural values / economic contexts

Own poem combines knowledge fromUK and Bangladesh


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Learner identities

Children actively seeking connection to Bangladeshthrough culture and language

Terms linking to home experience: chad mama

Teacher perceiving children as bilingual learners

Multiple identities can be expressed at schoolotherwise a monolingual space


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Childrens comments on doing maths inBangla

You understand more (if you use bothlanguages)

It was differentin English you know what you

have to doWe'd like to know more about Bangla numbersand operations....how to say it

Just liked it because it was different, liked it,

liked itYou can learn in two different ways

And it's our mother tongue and we don't knowmuch about it


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The crucial role of the mainstream schoolin supporting language maintenance

2ndand 3rdgeneration children in Miami arelosing their Spanish competence unless they

are schooled in Spanishdespite living in asubstantial Latino community where Spanishis regularly used in the business and socialinfrastructure

(Eilers, Pearson and Cobo-Lewis, 2006)


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References

Cummins, J. (1984) Language proficiency, bilingualism and academicachievement. Chapter 6 in Bilingualism and Special Education.Clevedon, Avon: Multilingual Matters.

Creese, A. (2004) Bilingual teachers in mainstream secondaryclassrooms: using Turkish for curriculum learning. International Journal

of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism7 (2), 189-203.Martin-Jones, M. and Saxena, M. (2003) Bilingual resources and fundsof knowledge for teaching and learning in multi-ethnic classrooms inBritain. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism6(3), 267-282.

Bialystok, E. (2001) Bilingualism in Development: Language, Literacyand Cognition.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Cummins, J. (1996) Negotiating Identities: Education forEmpowerment in a Diverse Society. Ontario, CA: California Associationfor Bilingual Education.

Creese, A., Bhatt, A., Bhojani, N. and Martin, P. (2006) Multicultural,heritage and learner identities in complementary schools. Languageand Education20 (1), 23-43.

developing bilingual learning2.ppt

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