My Language Map
My Language Map
Children need language awareness to open their horizons. Exposing children to a large variety of languages is extremely important because languages play a huge part in forming a person’s identity. Children may also encounter a range of languages in everyday life, so it would be beneficial for children to have some awareness of other languages in addition to understanding their own mother tongue. ‘The languages and experiences they brought to the classroom were genuinely valued and celebrated’. (Bain et al, 1992: 159). Bain et al suggest that language awareness for children can be very positive. Children enjoy learning about different languages because languages provide an insight into a person’s background; this can be quite engaging to the children as they may discover something about a language which they did not know before. Creating language history presentations or posters can be a worthwhile activity linked to languages; this is valuable for the children because they can research the languages that their families use and discuss how their past has influenced the way they use languages today. Children are encouraged to make an interactive presentation of their language history. The children can make recordings of their families’ dialect and accents; these sound recordings can be played to the rest of the class highlighting the differentiation in the way people speak. Children’s understanding of different accents and dialects can also be broadened through the use of language histories; not only are children thinking about their personal use of language, but they are also thinking about what their language may have in common with another child’s. As a result of watching other people’s language presentations and comparing them with my own I have realised; I have a strong South East accent because I have lived in the south of England since I was born.
The language history activity is also fulfilling a requirement of the National
Children need language awareness to open their horizons. Exposing children to a large variety of languages is extremely important because languages play a huge part in forming a person’s identity. Children may also encounter a range of languages in everyday life, so it would be beneficial for children to have some awareness of other languages in addition to understanding their own mother tongue. ‘The languages and experiences they brought to the classroom were genuinely valued and celebrated’. (Bain et al, 1992: 159). Bain et al suggest that language awareness for children can be very positive. Children enjoy learning about different languages because languages provide an insight into a person’s background; this can be quite engaging to the children as they may discover something about a language which they did not know before. Creating language history presentations or posters can be a worthwhile activity linked to languages; this is valuable for the children because they can research the languages that their families use and discuss how their past has influenced the way they use languages today. Children are encouraged to make an interactive presentation of their language history. The children can make recordings of their families’ dialect and accents; these sound recordings can be played to the rest of the class highlighting the differentiation in the way people speak. Children’s understanding of different accents and dialects can also be broadened through the use of language histories; not only are children thinking about their personal use of language, but they are also thinking about what their language may have in common with another child’s. As a result of watching other people’s language presentations and comparing them with my own I have realised; I have a strong South East accent because I have lived in the south of England since I was born.
The language history activity is also fulfilling a requirement of the National
Bibliography: Bain, R, Fitzgerald, B and Taylor, M, Looking into Language: Classroom Approaches To knowledge about Language, London: Hodder & Stoughton Department of Education (2012) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, Available at: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/EYFS%20Statutory%20Framework.pdf (accessed: 13/03/13) Department for Education (2013) English: En1 Speaking and listening, Available at: http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum/primary/b00198874/english/ks1/en1 (accessed: 10/03/13) Medwell, J, Moore, G, Wray, D and Griffiths, V, Primary English Knowledge and Understanding, California: Sage Moyles, J, Georgeson, J, Payler, J, Beginning Leaching, Beginning Learning in Early Years and Primary Education, Berkshire: Open University Press The National Subject Association for EAL (2011) Bilingualism and second language acquisition, Available at: http://www.naldic.org.uk/eal-initial-teacher-education/resources/ite-archive-bilingualism (accessed: 11/03/13) Safford, K and Collins, F (2007) English and EAL, Availiable at http://www.naldic.org.uk/eal-teaching-and-learning/eal-resources/english_eal (accessed: 11/03/13)