Course 7 - Multilingual Education in Primary Grades

1. Explain the importance of including children’s home languages (HL) in early years of learning

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2. Build awareness and positive attitude about multilingual education (MLE)

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3. Describe some simple strategies for enabling multilingual education in classrooms

KEY OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE

Use of children’s familiar languages in the classroom is crucial for learning.

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• Every possible effort should be made to bridge the gap that currently exists between children’s languages and school language in primary schooling.

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• Wherever possible, children‘s home language should be used as the medium of instruction until Grade 5 in government and private schools.

• Children speak Chhattisgadhi and Sambalpuri

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• Very hardworking; creative TLMs

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• Believes in pure use of school language

• Children speak Chhattisgadhi and Sambalpuri

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• Easy going and friendly

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• Uses a mix of children’s home language and school language

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2

3

4

KEY DIFFERENCES

More interactive and child centered classrooms

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Supports learning of additional languages

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Helps in developing positive self image and confidence

Better understanding and comprehension

Improves learning in all subjects

FLN Mission cannot be successful unless 'a language of comprehension’ is included from the beginning.

FLN Mission cannot be successful unless

'a language of comprehension’ is included from the beginning.

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Learning to read and write is NOT about decoding the script alone.

Halliday, 1993

When children learn language, they are not simply engaging in one type of learning among many; rather, they are learning the foundations of learning itself.

NEP 2020: Power of Languages

Bridge of home language or familiar language is crucial for children in the foundational years!

a familiar language

an unfamiliar language

COMMON CONCERNS

Use of the home language would result in lesser time and opportunities for learning the state language / English. Would it not be harmful?

Jharkhand

• 18 major languages
• Hindi - MOI
• Hindi - HL of 4% Children

122 languages

1369 MTs

How many languages are used as the medium of instruction?

36

1. Remote tribal habitations

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2. Home language quite different from the standard language

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3. Inter-state border areas

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4. Migrant population including seasonal migrants

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5. Studying through English medium from preschool or Class 1

CHILDREN FACING A LEARNING DISADVANTAGE

What proportion of children in India face a learning disadvantage on account of an unfamiliar medium of instruction?

35%

Not just tribal children!

VARIED LANGUAGE CONTEXTS IN INDIAN CLASSROOMS

• All children with one home language; limited understanding of the school language

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• Multiple home languages!

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• Teacher’s understanding of children’s home language?

In such a vast country with so much linguistic diversity and complexity, making so many home languages as medium of instruction is very challenging.

• School language- formal medium of instruction

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• Children’s home language- used extensively and strategically in the oral domain

STRATEGY 1

Teaching and learning in the beginning months of school should be conducted in children’s home languages alone.

Wagdi Poem

Excerpt from Chhattisgadhi Story

Halbi Poem

STRATEGY 2

Balanced and strategic use of HL and SL, as per children’s level.

• HL - New or difficult concepts, higher order thinking and expression

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• SL - Simple discussions, familiar content or concepts

STRATEGY 3

Accept and encourage mixed use of home language and school language for greater understanding and learning.

• Children speak in HL; teacher responds in SL or a mix of HL and SL

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• Teacher adjusts the mixed use of SL and HL to help children understand

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• Children use a mix of languages for better expression and communication

Does mixed use of languages negatively impact children’s language abilities?

LET’S LOOK AT A REAL CLASSROOM THAT DEMONSTRATES MIXED USE OF LANGUAGES !

Shri Dron Sahu

Primary teacher,

Chhattisgarh

3 things that stood out for you in this classroom as a result of mixed use of languages

PAUSE AND REFLECT!

Bonding and comfort among children and teacher

Active, expressive and confident children

Meaning making and higher order thinking

STRATEGY 4

Take help of children’s home languages in teaching how to read and write.

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• Teaching decoding using familiar words from HL

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/स/ - सपेरा OR सकली

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• Accepting mixed language expression in writing

Mixed use of Marathi, Hindi and English

by a girl to express herself in writing

STRATEGY 5

Local practices during weddings reflected in a Wagdi big book for children, Dungarpur, Rajasthan

Include children’s cultural and contextual knowledge in teaching-learning processes.

• Discussions on local festivals, crops, birds, animals, food items, work that people do

• Authentic reflections in the teaching-learning material (TLMs)

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• Connecting with the curriculum and concepts

• Listen carefully to children

• Pick up common words and phrases in HL

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• Use a mix of HL and SL for instruction

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• Take help of older children and staff

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• Make dictionaries to learn HL

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• Interact with the community

Multilingual Education = Home Language + State Language + English

1. Valuing and using children’s home language(s) & cultural knowledge

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2. Languages not in water-tight compartments; fluid and mixed use

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3. Taking support of children’s home language to teach additional languages

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4. Using the multilingual approach for teaching all subjects

1. Oral language development initially with lots of fun-filled and interactive activities

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2. Abundant exposure to L2

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3. Comprehensible input in L2

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4. Anxiety free learning environment

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5. Development of L2 vocabulary

Children’s home language for interactive classrooms

Use of children’s home language for the FLN mission and better performance

Multilingual education approach needed for all

Mixed language use for comprehension

and expression

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CONCLUSION

THANK YOU!