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Is it important for young English language learners to read dual language text?
It can be helpful for learners to read texts in both languages. It can provide a quick reference to aid comprehension and fosters an appreciation of the languages. It can be used creatively as a shared reading teaching tool in a bilingual setting. However, it is not a necessary part of learning the language. Often young learners will read one language and ignore the other. Additionally, if the majority language is English, this tends to reduce the desire to read in a minority language. Controversially, English quite frequently becomes the favoured language of choice due to its dominance/status in environments where English is widely used.
What could be more powerful for parents than being provided with information, skills, resources and tools to support them as a family unit and educators for their children?
Often, for busy EAL teachers, the focus is on the child. However, it is important to remember that, for some parents, the transition period can be just as difficult.
Approaches to bilingual upbringing
Some parents worry about bringing up their child with two languages and question whether it would be more beneficial for the child if they speak the language of the new country to help them become more competent in the new language and learn it faster. We need to discourage this approach, supporting parents in understanding the value of using their mother tongue.
Trust is the foundation of any meaningful school-family relationship. When it is strong, parents feel welcome, students feel supported, and schools can create the best conditions for learning. Research shows that trust between families and schools is directly linked to improvements in student engagement and achievement (Bryk and Schneider, 2002).
Here is a scenario close to my heart: