English Vs German Bilingual Classroom

These bilingual classroom materials are beneficial because they promote metalinguistic awareness while also serving “…to demonstrate the value of other languages, to make connections with the community and family, to strengthen the cultural identity of ELLs and to honor their families” (Cloud, Genesse, & Hamayan, 2009, p. 102). These materials are intended for a lower level English and German bilingual elementary classroom. I have chosen bilingual children’s books at different reading levels in an attempt to include students of varying literacy levels. I have made sure to include some books that were originally written in English and some that were originally written in German. A student can read a book in his/her stronger language first in order to get an understanding of the text before reading it in the other language.
Then the student can compare and contrast to two texts to discover any similarities or differences between English and German.
Bilingual books, whether full-text translations, single-language translations or wordless books, help to develop a student’s linguistic skills. “These skills can be separated into the three categories of vocabulary, syntax, and sound awareness for the sake of description although they necessarily come together in real-life language use” (Semingson, Pole, & Tommerdahl, 2015, p. 134). Another option would be for the entire class to read the same book with each individual student reading it in whatever language he/she is most competent and comfortable. Then they class could work as a whole to compare and contrast English and German based on the text they read. The students could also read the books that represent German culture and discuss the similarities and differences between the United States and Germany. This would give the ELLs a sense of pride and security by showing that their culture is valued. It would also educate all students on a culture that is different than their
own. Before beginning any type of language instruction, it is important to assess your student’s home language literacy skills. To assess your young student’s literacy ability in his/her home language it is necessary to start with a basic vocabulary assessment in the home language. To do this the teacher should have flashcards in the home language with basic words such as book, girl, laugh, jump, shoe, shirt, etc. The teacher should hold up a card and then ask the student to either point to the object named on the card or to do the action stated on the card. The teacher could then hold up flashcards with pictures on them and ask the student to say and write the word that represents the item pictured on the flashcard. If the student can successfully do this activity then the teacher should use an assessment of a higher literacy level in the home language. For instance, the teacher could ask the student to read a book in his/her home language that is at grade level one or two. If the student can do that fluently and easily the teacher should continue until the student begins to experience difficulty. At this point the teacher should halt the reading level assessment in the home language because he/she has gained the knowledge that he/she needs about the student’s reading ability. Also, the teacher doesn’t want the student to feel pressured or embarrassed. It should be noted that if the teacher does not speak the student’s home language then it will be necessary to enlist the help of someone who does in order to conduct this assessment. Literacy in one language compliments and aids literacy learning in another language. Therefore, having a classroom that includes bilingual materials will benefit both ELLs and monolingual English students. It creates cross-linguistic transfer, metalinguistic awareness, and cultural awareness. It also ensures that all students are being taught in a welcoming and supportive environment that will allow them to flourish as learners.