Education and support for multilingual Children ay bunya Education and Support for Multilingual Children “Practitioners need the empathy. Understanding and skills to help children achieve a positive sense of themselves and of others. Our role: to protect and value all children in the setting, foster empathy and provide accurate information about difference to enable children to think critically about and challenge bias,” Migration in the world means that children grow up in multilingual communities and families.
Bilingualism is common for a multicultural family, and it refers to children hat speak in two languages at home from birth or by parents’ migration to other countries and children’s learning of language in a new environment. Adults play a very Important role in children’s lives, as they are the ones who children look up to and from whom they take an example. Children look up to adults, they hear what adults say and see how they act towards certain values and cultural differences present In Ireland, therefore learning from them and shaping their c.v.. ;. N pollen based on that.
In order to help children discover their own opinion about nanas them groups etc, they have to face different cases tot prejudice and delimitation themselves. Thanks to this, relations between childcare workers and children will be more comfortable as they will be able to help children achieve their potential. “The Majority of the Caltech population are bilingual. While the Irish language may be the dominant language used by the majority within the Caltech area, Irish language speakers in general may be considered a minority grouping within the national context. Importance of Home Language “Bilingualism is an asset, and the first language has a continuing and significant role n identity, learning and the acquisition Of additional languages. ” Child’s first language IS very important because it’s most likely the dominant language at home where children communicate With the closest relatives and where they grow up. By knowing their home language, children will have more positive relations with other family members, and so will be more confident when learning another language, as they will feel that they are being supported.
Encouragement Trot chinaware workers sloe can nave a positive erect on ten canny and can help find out essential information about child’s capability in their own home engage which will also provide information about the child’s learning needs. Trying to learn few words or phrases in child’s home language can be very helpful as it will show respect and interest towards the child which should encourage them to work on their other language.
Also, if a childcare worker has one same home language as the child, he/she should be made aware as soon as possible that they are learning more than one language and that they have different names, children should be able to distinguish one from another. This is important as part of child’s identity and awareness. Co-operating with Parents [Book reading] is an activity that is viewed in many cultures as appropriate for both mothers and fathers to engage in, and it is an excellent way of introducing children to aspects of culture that they may not see in their local environment.
Childcare workers have to be aware of certain things when working with children. Some of them may come from families of minor groups such as immigrants, and so the family may fear that they will not be treated fairly when using childcare services. They may also fear that the child will lose interest and knowledge about their home culture and language. Practitioners should talk to the parents and point that they are aware of the importance of home language, and that bilingualism is a great advantage for their child.
Parents should be assured that they have childcare facilities support. If parents feel strong about their traditions and culture, they should also be assured that learning English will not replace their child’s home language, it will be learned as an addition so that the child feels as part of the English speaking community. Working Together with Children “When early childhood educators actively support a child’s dual language acquisition, he results are undeniably positive.
An encouraging environment strengthens the connection between the school program and the family, enabling the young child to “feel supported, nurtured and connected not only to their home community and families but also to teachers and the educational setting” When reviewing child’s values and attitudes, childcare worker should pay attention to their sense of belonging in the childcare centre. See how their friends are treating them, and whether they are being included in different group activities and games or not.
It is important to help children to realize that words can hurt. At workplace, in order to expand children’s knowledge about different social and cultural groups, there could be a Multicultural Day organized where children from other countries and culture can present something: traditions, clothes, songs, poems, phrases, art etc. Children will learn easier through activities, cooperation and fun. Their unreasoning Deterrent values wall Dreaded Ana tenet consonance will Improve. Bilingual and monolingual children will benefit from these activities. Schools can play a very important role, in offering both children – but particularly he non elitist bilingual – the sort of support required to raise self esteem, provide a sense of self worth and confidence that will enable them to survive and succeed in a seemingly hostile society. ” What can be very helpful is creating a “bilingual” environment for a child. Childcare worker could find out if there are any other bilingual staff present or if any of the family members are bilingual too. Perhaps they could help creating materials in home languages.
For example songs, rhymes, stories, posters on walls etc. Which will help children memorize better. If the same material is introduced in English, the hill should find it easier to learn it as he/she will associate it with the same words and phrases in home language. “In preschool and elementary children, being bilingual is associated with a clear advantage in intellectualism ability, the capacity to think about language Most bilingual children display greater ability to focus attention on language tasks than do monolingual children. Even though it is not 100% true to say that a bilingual child can confuse his/her languages, it is good to ensure that child has a break from English every now and then so that they have time to think their own thoughts. There are times in the beginning of a child’s education where they find it hard to face a new language and they go through a silent period, therefore positive attitude and encouragement is essential.
Examples of Strategies when Encouraging Children: Child-to-child interaction – some children may be unwilling to cooperate when an adult is present as they may feel intimidated. By finding a peer that does not share their home language can be seen as great support to those children when settling in. Keep talking to a child, even when he/she is not responding, as continuous exposure tit language will help them feel more like a part of the group.
Praise the smallest effort showed but do not force any response as it can make a child less open. Provide activities that include role-play, so that children can learn through positive experience and try to use as much vocabulary as they can to make it more interesting. Benefits of Developing Bilingualism in Children “It may be difficult to imagine, but more than two-thirds of the world’s population speaks more than one language, or-?as a linguist several generations ago put it -?”suffers Trot ten contralto or Dualism’s. Eve come a long way Trot ten early dead of bilingualism as a detriment to our children” Cognitive ability: – brain activity and flexibility it relates to problem solving, logic and memory, thinking in more than one way – more creative in expression – better attention – more patience Social and cultural advantages: – appreciation of other cultures, integration – grater tolerance for the differences in everyday life – less racism Personal benefits: – self-confidence – self-esteem – sensitivity and willingness to help – desire to learn new things For the future: – greater contribution to work with another language, so economically, – more Job opportunities – as an employee, they will understand different consumer needs and wants across different cultures. Development of bilingualism in children seems as a long process that requires a lot of effort both from parents and childcare workers, and at times may seem not worth the time. By showing children support and spending time with them, adults bond with them and create more positive experiences that help shape children’s character. Adults as slower learners can take an example from children too and work towards improving their skills and qualities for mutual benefits.
