Raymonde Sneddon

and Luljeta Nuzi

Magda and Albana becoming biliterate with dual language

books and Shpresa

The context

• Making and using dual language books• Developing a collection and a website at UEL• Action research at UEL 2002-2004• Redbridge Developing Reading Skills through

Home Languages 2008• Subjects: children who have little opportunity to

learn the language of their home – working with teachers who support bilingualism through dual language books

www.uel.ac.uk/education/research/duallanguagebooks

The research context

• Cummins’ empowerment model

• Bialystok’s work on bilingual literacy

• Research on multiliteracies and bilingual learning by Eve Gregory and Charmian Kenner

• Learner and personal identity in complementary schools of Peter Martin and Angela Creese

An exploratory studyResearch questions

• What can observation of children reading in 2 languages simultaneously reveal about the transfer of concepts and skills?

• Does the relationship between English and the home language affect the ease and nature of transfer?

• Does reading 2 languages simultaneously have an impact on children’s understanding of how language works and on their comprehension of a text?

• Impact on development of learner and personal identities?

Methodology

• Ethnographic study

• Identification of children and interviews with parents and teachers

• 4/6 observations and recordings

• Transcription and field notes

The children

• Magda and Albana reading Albanian with their mothers

• Mydda reading Urdu with her mother

• Lek and Durkan reading Turkish with each other

• Sarah reading French by herself

• Mohamed reading Gujerati with his mother

“She has learned words in Albanian that I don’t know!” (Albana’s mother)

• Understanding the different phonics and word order • Transfer of strategies at decoding and context level• Using Albanian much more in the home• Reading at the top end of the class in English• Have now become fluent readers in Albanian – expanding learning new

vocabulary in both languages• Diaries in Albanian developed into dual language books• Girls are very proud and would like to sit exams in Albanian • Public poetry recitals in Albanian and dancing in traditional costume in

public events• Bilingual and bicultural identity • Both now attend Albanian classes and clubs on a Sunday• Both mothers’ English is improving and both are now closely involved with

the school. Magda’s mother is now working as a classroom assistant and helping to run an Albanian club, Albana’s mother training as a nursery assistant.

Magda and Albana’s Albanian diaries

Magda’s story

Valuing real life multilingual experiences in the classroom

• Role of the school in creating a language friendly educational environment

• Role of the teacher in encouraging and supporting parents to read in the home language with their children and in valuing children’s progress and skills

• Importance of teacher knowing the language and literacy background of families

• Awareness of the different challenges presented by different languages and the need for targeted resources

• Availability of suitable resources, including bilingual staff • Availability of resources that value children’s cultural

heritage and encourage exploring and sharing of personal identities.

“we might want to be authors”

Albana , Magda and the connection with the Shpresa Programme

• Shpresa Programme started working in Redbridge in partnership with Mayfield School from 2005

• Christchurch School got to know about Shpresa’s work on refugee week and asked for help, to get traditional costumes and we offered support with dancing as well.

• Staff got to know the children and invited them to come at Mayfield School as well as contining to offer the lunch club on Albanian awareness to the children in Christchurch.

Background

• Shpresa is a user –led organization• Set up in 2003• Users of the services provided - Albanian

speaking refugees, asylum seekers and migrants from Albania, Kosova, Macedonia

• Registered as Charitable Company • Charity No.1110688• Company No.4692860

Mission

• To enable the Albanian speaking community in the UK to settle and fully participate in society and realize their full potential. We want to promote a positive identity and recognition of our community’s cultural and linguistic heritage, both among Albanian speakers and the wider society so that we can contribute to community cohesion in the UK

Projects up and running

• Women’s Project

• Children’s project

• Youth project

• Volunteering project

• Advice and advocacy project

• Cultural events

Education project

• The Project aims to:• Improve children’s language and literacy skills in

Albanian• Improve children’s attainment in their

mainstream school• Improve parent/child communication within the

family• Improve parent/teacher communication• Raise awareness of Albanian culture in the

community

Working with mainstream schools

What was on offer at Mayfield School

• Albanian language classes• Traditional dancing • Women’s support group• Parenting support group• Drama• Mentoring • Training• Self - defence• Cultural events • And every year a number of public performances were

held

Selecting schools

• Identify schools with high numbers of Albanian speaking children

• Identify Albanian speaking families taking children to these schools and talk about the project or parents who have heard about the service approach us.

• Arrange for a meeting with school representatives and discuss the possibility of working in partnership

• Offer a three month pilot project

Reasons why schools trust us

• Track record • Successfully run at other schools• Safeguarding children policy in place (CRB

checks for all staff and volunteers)• Clear target group• Clear aims and outcomes• Community back up• References/good track record• Offer solution for a number of school targets

How schools benefit from our work

• Activities in line with school’s aims• Raising attainment • Improving attendance and punctuality• Student voice• Helping the school to engage with parents• Offering training and Albanian cultural

awareness for teachers and pupils• Organizing assemblies at the school• Helping the school to meet the Community

Cohesion Agenda and parental engagement

Children’s involvement

• Albana and Magda settled very quickly• They really enjoyed themselves and made new

friends.• Their confidence increased and they become

role models within the group very quickly• They loved performing and public speaking at

different audiences• They helped greatly to improve the quality of

services at Mayfield

In class at Mayfield

Children’s voices

• Shpresa is a user led organization and makes sure that at all times the users contribute to its development and governance

• Under the children and young people’s project we have quarterly planning and evaluation meetings as well as holding the yearly Children’s Congress. Based on the children’s expressed needs we then develop the project further and improve our services as well as electing the chair of the Albanian Young people’s forum.

Key factors in Shpresa’s success

• Inclusiveness – Shpresa has a very strong culture of family, friendship, solidarity and warmth which gives rise to high levels of trust and openness. It also sends out messages of inclusiveness to newcomers, so that they can take full advantage of the opportunities as quickly as possible

• Cultural Identity – Shpresa’s programme of activities, and provision of a ‘space’ for the Albanian-speaking community provides a clear reinforcement of identity of what it means to be Albanian through language, dances and cultural climate and activities. This reinforces family ties by giving better means of communication between parents and children and building new links to grandparents. This clarity of identity is experienced as providing a way of finding one’s place in British society and giving rise to respect from others outside the Albanian community

• Problem Solving Know-How – In Shpresa it is clear that the staff act as role models to service users and volunteers, and demonstrate consistent patterns of behaviour

• Focus on women and young people – The Shpresa Programme provides a range of specific projects for children, young people and women. Hence, there appears to be a focus on these groups. Although this focus was probably not intentional, it has had the effect of reaching those who are the most significant holders and transmitters of cultural values.

• Progressive Steps – Participants reported how they have continued to take on progressively greater challenges to suit their stage of development both within Shpresa, such as in the volunteering programme, or outside, such as in courses to further their career aspirations. It is clear that the staff take an active hand in encouraging and supporting this climate of self-development. There is a strong feeling amongst women who are current and ex-service users that by being in the UK and in contact with Shpresa, that they can achieve things that would not have been possible at home in their personal development and careers. This is partly because they can access courses and training; partly due to encouragement from staff members; and partly because of the increase in confidence that contact with Shpresa and use of its services, offers

• Understanding the UK & Getting the UK to Understand Albanians – Many people reported how the Shpresa Programme had fostered integration rather than separation. Many commented on the programmes, visits and activities that provide insight and understanding and encourage appropriate involvement with UK society. There was evidence that the Shpresa Programme helps service users of all ages to understand and feel comfortable with British culture.

• “I felt a great sense of achievement working with the group- they

were so proud to put on the traditional costumes and perform. The children in school who watched the performance were also very impressed, and had more respect for those pupils after the event. I'm not sure about the effect it had on the children's work in class as I do not teach any of the older ones, but it has had a big impact on self esteem and pride in cultural heritage. This year in Yr 1 several friends of the Albanian pupils have asked to join the club- it now has a higher status. The children are proud to be able to speak Albanian, which is great. So often peer pressure takes over and so many parents say their children will only speak to them in English once they start school. I was also delighted when so many parents, aunties, baby brothers etc turned up laden with food for the end of term party- it felt like a real community event, and the parents were so pleased with what had taken place. It has given the parents an opportunity to get to know each other better too.

Teacher’s comment

Parents’ Comments

• “Shpresa has become my extended family that i don’t have here in UK, is the place where I go with my problems and I will not only be supported but encouraged and trained to learn how to solve them by myself”.

• “I have had the chance to learn from others, exposed to so many opportunities and supported to overcome difficulties, do volunteer work with in Shpresa and then to a number of other institution, such as other volunteer organization and school. They have helped me to decide what I want to do in the future. I would like to become a teacher and currently I am doing TA NVQ level 3 course working as volunteer at Shpresa and at mainstream school.”