Celebrating Bilingualism
Key Principles of the Importance of the Home Language:
· Bilingualism is an asset and a child’s first language helps them define their own identity and to learn additional languages
· Children have a right to have their own voice heard and to use their own language
· Promotion of a child’s first language increases their repertoire and learning opportunities overall within the EYFS and beyond
· A child’s critical thinking and learning should be challenged by providing language and contextual support
· Acquiring language goes hand-in-hand with a child’s learning and development alongside an inclusive framework
1.6 million pupils in the UK recorded as having English as an additional language, this equates to 19.5% of the overall pupil population.
At Enchanted Wood Preschool we believe that having more than one language is something that should be celebrated, promoted and supported. Did you know that more children in the world grow up multilingual than monolingual, so it’s our job in the early years to celebrate and develop an inclusive. Multilingualism stimulates brain development and helps children learn because they can think about their ideas in two (or more) languages.
Speaking more than one language comes naturally to babies, whose brains are wired for all language. A child’s first language is usually the mother’s as they have heard it in the womb. A child who develops good use of their home language (sometimes also called their mother language) is more likely to develop good English, which supports brain development and emotional well-being. Sadly, if parents use English instead, children can lose their mother language, neither language will progress and the child may have problems in both languages. The most important message that we promote at Enchanted Wood Preschool, is to keep children’s home language alive.
At a very young age, a child learns to distinguish and develop the differences between languages used with them and around them, sadly this skill diminishes as we get older. Families should continue to use their home language, talking to their child from the earliest age onwards. This is central for the child's communication, social, and emotional development. Language feeds the brain and links us to our family, our community and our friends. This is vital for a young child's sense of self.
Children will learn to respect and value other cultures if they are
visually represented in their learning environment.
Our staff will support and work with families whose first language is not English, and when you start the preschool we will gather information about key words and vocabulary and use a language map. With this information we hope to gain a good understanding of the child's linguistic and cultural background when they enter preschool, and work collaboratively with families. If children need further settling in sessions supported by a parent that can translate routines and nursery vocabulary this is something we can discuss with each family.
A child’s home language is a fundamental aspect of their personality and cultural identity.
Children hearing their mother tongue language can bring colour to the life of children through songs, stories and folklore. We have a range of resources at preschool to help children jump in to the world of dual language including books, fables and folktales. It is great for monolingual children to have a bilingual child in their room as it encourages appreciation, and a true meaning of diversity, this help celebrate respect others in their community and teach them about other cultures.
Our strong keyperson system allows careful guiding, monitoring and supporting each child’s physical and emotional well-being. Right from the start staff will build strong and positive relationships with the staff and gather the right information from each family using our ‘All About Me’ and ‘Getting in Right from the Start Language Maps.’ On-going dialogue will ensure that the needs of each child are met, and staff will share daily achievements and progress termly during our Parent Development Reviews.
It is really important for us as teachers to pronounce your child’s name correctly, so please share your child’s preferred name and help us spell it our phonetically to ensure we are saying is correctly. #itstartswithaname
Child can often enter a ‘silent’ period at preschool whilst they observe and take in information about their world around them. Being bilingual does not lead to speech delay, so celebrating languages spoken in our setting ensure children feel included and valued. In our environments you will find welcome posters reflecting the languages of children within that class or wider community. At circle time we greet children by saying ‘hello’ in languages that represent the class, this give children a real sense of belonging. The staff use visual to support key words and use these to represent the visual timetable, for example a staff member may say ‘garden’, show the garden visual and encourage the child to say ‘garden’ in their home language. Staff will respond promptly with praise to any attempts at experimental language.
Children that have very little English may be offered a keyring to hang on their clothes or carry with them, with key survival language such as hungry, tired, toilet etc… these may include photos of activity choices, so children can make independent choices. Children will also be provided with a visual timetable with actual objects of reference, for example ‘nappy change time’ will have a nappy hanging from the timeline. While staff are playing with the children they will add commentary to their play, for example ‘the train is coming along the track,’ this is known as labelling. This gives the child a range of English words to absorb and begin to use. Any word echoed, or said in English or their home language will be praised and encouraged. Giving children practical tasks such as playdough offers a range of vocabulary such as ‘rolling, stretching, squeezing.’
You may find children switch between languages to start with and this is to be expected. This is know as ‘code mixing’ and is a normal expected stage of bilingual language acquisition, on their pathway from babbling to bilingual.
Peer on peer learning is a great tool, and pairing a child up with a ‘language buddy’ to help build relationships with their peers whilst absorbing the English language.
Most importantly children should see their home culture reflected in the preschool, so be completing the ‘language map’ when the child starts can help us include key words, welcomes, festivals and celebrations, songs, stories and foods
We want to make parent feedback as clear as possible at the door and end of the day too, so each site has a PENpal and key phrases poster. This can translate key words and phrases into 12 languages, please let us know home languages on your registration form, so we can load these languages onto the pen. https://uk.mantralingua.com
When assessing children under the Early Years Foundation Stage (2021) the statutory guidance states:
‘For children whose home language is not English, providers must take reasonable steps to provide opportunities for children to develop and use their home language in play and learning, supporting their language development at home.
During these assessment processes we will also be able to support children whom, in addition to English as an additional language, may also has special educational needs.
Further Resources
The National Literacy Trust has created a booklet called ‘Time Together’ that is full of suggestions for how parents can support their young child's learning at home. It has been translated into eighteen different languages for you to share with the multilingual families in your setting or community. You can view these resources by clicking here:
https://literacytrust.org.uk/resources/time-together-multilingual-families/
Bilingual quick tips have also been created in 19 different languages, for parents and early years practitioners to help children develop good talking and listening skills. You can view these resources by clicking here:
https://literacytrust.org.uk/early-years/bilingual-quick-tips/