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MOTHER TONGUE DEVELOPMENT. Issues arising from the lack of mother tongue development. Historical Background.
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MOTHER TONGUE DEVELOPMENT Issues arising from the lack of mother tongue development
Historical Background • ‘With the transformation of our societies we are becoming more and more conscious of our ethnic, racial, religious, national, regional and global identities… this diversity is making us more aware of the ‘particular’ in us, simultaneously with an emerging feeling of the ‘universal’. Jalaluddin (2002)
Historical Background • ‘What makes us unique among all organisms is our ability to create adaptive cognitive and social structures through self-organising learning abilities. Culture is our shared knowledge and schooling is the cultural artefact’
Language Acquisition • Early literacy is established through phonological awareness, alphabetic principles and fluency with the text. An essential development in any language is the phonemic awareness, which is the ability to manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) into spoken words.
Language Acquisition • There is a high correlation between learning to read in mother tongue and subsequent reading achievement in the second language. • Early intervention with students at risk in reading (Grade 1-2) more successful. If checks are in place as they proceed then the gains made can be maintained and transferred to other areas.
Language Acquisition • There may need to be support options along a continuum for dipping in and out at critical stages developmentally. • If this type of support is available it has been noted to increase skill levels in the following areas vocabulary development, writing, abstract content and ideas, study and subjects taken.
Language Acquisition • Research indicates literacy strategies learned in one language transfer to reading and writing situations in the second language without having to be relearned.
Language Acquisition • Language and literacy skills in primary school are directly related to later academic success (Stanovich) and therefore this has implications for transient children from a multicultural background.
Language Acquisition • Scenario of a multilingual child • African father French mother • Born in South Africa • Moved to Germany when 2 • Bilingual in French/English • Retained some German • Went to school in Philippines for some time • Back to Germany • Education in France in final years
Language Acquisition • Scenario of a multilingual child • Refugee status • Dialect/Designated language of country • Out of formal school system for some time • Family not intact • Brought to English speaking country • Few others of his background and age attend his school in the secondary years
Language Acquisition • Korean background • National system • Allowed to leave school at 12yrs to work • Enters secondary school in China where English is language of instruction • Emotional/Social/Behavioural issues
Language Acquisition • Scenario of a multilingual child • Father Italian Mother English • Educated in Italian • Spoke and read in English at home • Now in English school • Difficulties in reading in both languages • Siblings have no sign of language issues
Bilingualism • 70% of the world’s population has more than one language • A positive asset • Can benefit student's intellectual progress • Supporting development of the mother tongue enhances the development of the second
Bilingualism • Learning a second language happens most effectively when taught as a means of learning • Acquiring a second language requires motivation • Greatest motivator is the need to communicate
Academic Implications • Intersection of many cultural environments within the school; • social context with students of many varied cultures; • ESL or third language class with few students from majority culture; • classes where majority culture dominates;
Academic Implications • then outside the school another intersection may exist with a different social group plus the complexity of the home culture which, may be bi-cultural. • Such a dynamic is a difficult course to make your way through on a daily basis
Academic Implications • Vocabulary development limited • Inferential comprehension difficult • Abstract concepts difficult to grasp • Grammar simplistic • Sentence structure basic • Written depth & detail lacking
Academic Implications • Academic proficiency refers to ability not only to use language for reading and writing but also to acquire information in the content areas. • 5-7yrs for SLLs to perform as well as native speakers. Have to gain more language proficiency each year than local peers in order to close the gap.
Academic Implication • Premise every teacher is an ESL teacher • Assumption they are trained in second language learning methodology and aware of cross cultural issues as well as equipped with approaches to teach academic content • At secondary level an understanding of the sophisticated instructional strategies is essential for drawing connections between student’s experiences and curriculum ideas
Systems • ESL Foundation Classes - grammar, syntax and content related work. • ESL English Class parallel the Mainstream English syllabus with abridged texts and visual formats. • Intensive language programme in language of instruction for 10-12 weeks before entering mainstream • Bi-lingual language instruction not only in English subject but other subject areas
Systems • Mother-tongue classes and ESL English classes. • After school programs for minority languages to socialise, read literature, sing songs and maintain contact with their origins. • Use technology to connect groups around the world from a particular culture to maintain links with their peers.
Strategies • Scaffolding • Templates • Concept maps • Graphic organisers • Socratic circles • Role plays
Strategies • Read/Write Software • Dual Language identity texts • Journal writing • Picture journals • Writing rubrics
Emotional Implications • ‘Bilingual students become lost and undervalued; they may lose their roots and their identity’ –subtractive bilingualism – English replaces their mother tongue as their best academic language. Cummins (2000)
Emotional Implications • Sense of isolation, loneliness • Exhaustion • Family conflict - parents acculturated in another society may reject the prevailing cultural patterns of the society their children are interacting with. • Emotional separation from relatives and culture of origin if mother tongue not acknowledged and maintained
Emotional Implications • Research evidence shows lack of exposure to mother tongue and culture may do some harm. • The younger the child the more devastating the effects. • Not just emotional but also cognitive damage that permanently affects students’ ability to learn. • Parents and teachers need to be aware of possible consequences of lack of mother tongue development.
Culture • Using metaphor of the onion (Hofstede’s model 1994) certain cultural traits are superficial and literal like the skin of the onion but as you begin to peel back the layers you expose the behaviours and habits which are instinctively known and adhered to by those from that culture
Culture • Research has shown that very young children (4-6 months old) show culture specific behaviours and that by the age of 6yrs a cultural identity is formed. • This period also crucial to language development
Summary • Formal mother tongue development and recognition essential to academic learning • Earlier the intervention the greater the success long term • Critical history should be researched & noted for those who follow in teaching.
