Introducing English as an Additional Language to Young Children

Kay Crosse

• Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd
• Year: 2007
• ISBN:
  9781446230374
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education Curricula

`A definite must-have for all teachers of English confronted with early multilingualism? - Times Educational Supplement

The activities and guidance in this book will help teachers to develop the confidence and meet the individual needs of young children with English as an additional language across different settings. There are also practical and varied language teaching strategies to promote learning for children working individually or in small groups.

The first part of the book focuses on the introduction and development of oral language skills and the particular needs of young "additional English language learners" settling into a new environment. It provides an introduction to the Foundation Stage curriculum and the ways in which links can be made with English as an additional language activity.

The second part of the book presents practical activities grouped under the six areas of learning forming the early years curriculum. Each activity includes an appropriate objective, materials and preparation, key vocabulary to focus on and extension suggestions, as well as full guidance on how to manage the activity effectively.

The book will be a valuable resource for all teachers, teaching assistants and other early years staff in day nurseries, nursery schools and other early years settings.

Kay Crosse is a freelance early years consultant and was formerly head of Norland College.

CHAPTER 1

Foundations of language learning

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This chapter considers the following aspects of children starting to learn English as an additional language:

• Language, culture and learning
• Child development
• Foundations for oral language skills
• Working with parents to provide consistency and security for young children
• Support for parents
• Building relationships
• The role of the adult in supporting children’s language learning
• Using the child’s first language in school and at home
• An overview of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum.

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Language, culture and learning

Many early years settings now welcome children and families from different cultures who use languages other than English. Young children who are starting to learn English as an additional language may also be attending a nursery school, pre-school, day nursery or childminder perhaps for the first time. They will bring with them many skills and experiences from their home culture and will be both anxious and excited about their new situation. A good foundation for learning English as an additional language is embedded in quality early years practice. Good early years practice is based on the following principles:

• Equality of opportunity which enables all children to reach their full potential.
• Valuing play as an enjoyable and challenging activity.
• Emphasising and building on what children can do rather than what they cannot do.
• An understanding of child development leading to appropriate activities for children.
• Giving priority to personal, social and emotional development.
• Encouraging children to become independent, autonomous learners.
• Learning based on first-hand experiences which is then evaluated.
• Effective record-keeping and assessment identifying what children learn and how they learn.
• Highly qualified staff working in partnership with parents and carers.
• Staff who are reflective and analytical practitioners.

The ways in which children learn best through play and first-hand experiences are also the most appropriate ways for them to become either bilingual or multilingual. The nature of bilingualism for young children can be very varied. It can be an additional language used by them at nursery while they use their first language with their parents, grandparents and within their local community. In some families each parent may have a different language and the child is learning these languages from birth and then English at school. Some of these children may be newly arrived in England. Children are skilled at switching between languages and can become proficient and accomplished bilingual or multilingual speakers. For this to happen, however, they need to be supported in their first language and culture, and to be helped to settle happily into their new environment. Children as young as two can quickly learn which language is used in which circumstance and can switch from one language to another. Their progress in each language can initially be slower as they grapple with different vocabulary and sentence structures but their language development catches up with their monolingual peers by the age of five or six. Children who are bilingual seem to have more awareness of how language works and an increased sensitivity to language use. They listen carefully and use the full range of communication methods to make themselves understood and also to understand. Younger children are less inhibited than older children and once they feel comfortable in their new surroundings they will join in wholeheartedly with activities, contributing in as many ways as possible and eventually joining in and developing their language skills.

An appreciation of the diverse experiences and cultures that the children bring with them into the nursery can be through music, art and dance as well as stories, rhymes and poems. These provide a rich treasure chest on which new English language skills can be built as well as a huge amount of resource material which can be shared with all members of the class – children and staff. As children increase their English language skills, they become more confident in sharing aspects of their home culture, learning about their new culture and gradually finding it easier to join in with all of the play and activities associated with the English Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum.

Providing support for children

There are now many ways of supporting children in early years settings, through staff employed as bilingual teaching assistants, bilingual nursery nurses and teachers who may be based in one particular setting or travel to several settings during one week sharing their expertise with more children and families. They act as interpreters as well as supporting the children’s ‘settling in period’ and the classroom activities. In many localities there are specific services that can also support staff and children. The first priority of all staff working in bilingual settings is to help the child and the child’s family feel welcome and at ease in their new environment. It is helpful if staff know some of the important words from the child’s first language and some of the customs of their first culture. This knowledge helps staff to understand more about the child and to smooth the way for the child becoming part of the peer group. By valuing the home language and culture, first language skills are developed properly and, in time, the additional language is also developed. Think about how children gain their first language through listening to parents and other children, by joining in songs during routine daily events, by repetition of enjoyable and fun rhymes and sharing stories. This is the ideal way to learn an additional language.

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Marie enjoyed the times when her father read her the book I won’t bite by Rod Campbell, translated by Haan Associates. They had borrowed the English/Somali dual language version from the local library. Marie particularly enjoyed the sensory aspects of this touch and feel book, stroking the mouse’s ear, the rabbit’s fluffy tail and the chimp’s furry chest! She pretended to be very scared and hid behind her hands at the end of the book when she saw the enormous teeth of the crocodile. She soon learnt the much repeated phrase ‘I won’t bite’ in both Somali and English.

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Developing a sense of belonging

All children need to grow up knowing that they belong. A sense of belonging provides a way of constructing identity and of knowing who you are and where you belong. Children can feel a sense of belonging to their immediate and extended family, to their community and to their nursery setting. Their sense of culture can be strengthened through contact with all these groups. Children are more likely to feel a sense of belonging when the language they use and the customs they and their family observe are respected.

Child development

When adults working with young children have a thorough understanding of all aspects of child development, they are able to plan activities effectively, which promote the all-round development of young children. Play is at the heart of young children’s learning and offers a wealth of opportunities for emerging bilingual children to develop both first and additional language skills. Although each aspect of development – physical development, cognitive and language development, emotional and social development and spiritual development – may be approached for planning purposes as separate entities, it is essential to view development in young children from a holistic standpoint. In this way the children make connections in their play, their learning and their daily experiences. When development is seen holistically, the child is then at the centre of the planning and their differing needs can be met. Learning (cognitive development) cannot take place unless the child is happy and settled in their new environment (emotional, social and spiritual development) and healthy (physical development).

Maslow’s (1908–70) ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ theory is a generally regarded as useful way of thinking about children’s and adults’ needs. The needs identified at a lower level such as safety, security and nutrition must be met before needs at a higher level, such as self-esteem and cognitive development, can be promoted.

Physical development

When children are involved in play activities they are developing both their fine-motor skills and their large-motor skills. Fine-motor skills involve small movements such as threading and drawing. Children practise large-motor skills when running, hopping, jumping and using tricycles. As they delight in playing games such as hopscotch there are opportunities to learn and practise counting in several languages. This is a natural way of learning to count, which then can be practised in other situations such as building a tower and counting the bricks. The skilled practitioner uses routine everyday activities within the nursery, looking for the language opportunities within. When the children get ready to play outside, this involves them putting on hats and coats which encourages independence and gives them practice with fine-motor skills. However, this also gives them the opportunity to hear new vocabulary such as ‘hat’, ‘bobble hat’, ‘red bobble hat’ or ‘bright blue cap’. The adult scaffolds or builds up the language in an appropriate context.

Cognitive development

Learning is an interactive process planned to include both adult- and child-led activities as well as responding to unplanned spontaneous learning opportunities. When children are interested in their learning and the task matches their level of understanding, they are motivated to learn. Children who are learning a second language need to have the task set at an appropriate level for their stage of intellectual development as well as encouraging their additional language skills. They may need support and guidance at the start of the task but can then work independently alongside their peer group. Their cognitive ability may be initially above that of their English language ability but staff need to make every effort to offer meaningful activities.

Planning for cognitive or intellectual development involves many aspects of the learning process:

• problem solving
• developing and understanding concepts
• developing creativity and imagination
• concentration
• memory
• acquiring knowledge and new experiences
• learning through play.

Language development

Language development encompasses both spoken and written language. Spoken language forms the basis of all language and literacy development, and the more early involvement with songs, stories, poems and rhymes that young children have, the easier it will be to acquire reading and writing skills at a later stage. Sensory play provides many language opportunities – think of the vocabulary that can emerge from cornflour and jelly play! Staff who plan language-based activities and who sensitively model the appropriate language will find that young children ‘pick up’ the language and in time use the same language in other contexts. Just as in the children’s first language, bilingual children will understand the language long before speaking it. Bilingual children will acquire their new language in a similar sequence to their first language. There is often a silent period when children are taking in the new vocabulary and sentence structures, followed by early attempts with two- or three-word combinations. There is frequently a stage where vocabulary from both languages is used as children make great efforts to communicate using whatever tools are at their disposal – much like adults on holiday in a foreign country! In these early attempts at communication it is vital that children are supported in their efforts and receive praise and encouragement to spur them on to greater efforts.

Social and emotional development

The promotion of both social and emotional development is closely linked in young children. For learning to take place, young children have to feel socially and emotionally at ease. To make those first tentative steps in their new language they have to feel secure and know that they are learning in a supportive environment. The time spent by staff in helping children and their families feel welcome will provide a sense of belonging. The social and emotional development of young children has to be the first priority of staff. A sense of being included in their new setting from the very first moment is of enormous importance to a young child. Practical steps such as making sure the child has a place at circle time and has an identifiable coat-peg translate into a feeling of belonging. The use of the visual timetable helps children to know and anticipate daily activities. Skilled practitioners ensure that the child is supported into group activities, especially in informal activities such as playtime and lunch time. Some children naturally empathise with children new to the setting and can act as sensitive guides or buddies shepherding the new children through seemingly challenging situations. Being part of a group where other children act as good language models is a helpful learning environment. In this way children will build on their existing social skills and will share, c...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• 1 Foundations of language learning
• 2 Capturing the interest of children
• 3 Getting started!
• 4 Planning for success
• 5 A curriculum for the early years
• 6 Practical activities for personal, social and emotional development
• 7 Practical activities for communication, language and literacy
• 8 Practical activities for problem solving, reasoning and numeracy
• 9 Practical activities for knowledge and understanding of the world
• 10 Practical activities for physical development
• 11 Practical activities for creative development
• Resources
• References
• Index