Literacy And Bilingualism

This handbook applies proven techniques, derived from bilingual/bicultural classrooms, to teaching literacy in the twenty-first century. Its goal is to help teachers increase their understanding of bilingual learners in order to maximize instruction. Teachers can use this handbook to expand their understanding of literacy and bilingualism; implement literacy approaches and assess students’ development; and learn through reflection. Practical, flexible format and content. Complete and straightforward instructions, illustrated by case studies, allow teachers to use the strategies in this handbook on their own or in teacher-led study groups. They can select from the variety of approaches the ones which best match their students’ needs and their own teaching style. Student-centered focus. All of the approaches share characteristics that help motivate students of varying language abilities to develop literacy. Field-tested approaches. The approaches have been modified and tested with bilingual students of different ages and language backgrounds in bilingual, ESL, mainstream, special education, and deaf education classes ranging from preschool through high school. New in the Second Edition: *five new approaches with their corresponding classroom implementation; *additional information in each introduction addressing its theme; *new material on issues of language, culture, and literacy development of students completely new to the English language; and *annotated bibliographies with sample books to support literacy within language and content area classes. Literacy and Bilingualism is intended for a broad audience of teachers in any type of classroom where bilingualism plays a role, and is an excellent text for preservice and inservice courses that prepare teachers to work with English language learners.

This book sets a high standard for rigor and scientific approach to the study of bilingualism and provides new insights regarding the critical issues of theory and practice, including the interdependence of linguistic knowledge in bilinguals, the role of socioeconomic status, the effect of different language usage patterns in the home, and the role of schooling by single-language immersion as opposed to systematic training in both home and target languages. The rich landscape of outcomes reported in the volume will provide a frame for interpretation and understanding of effects of bilingualism for years to come.

A range of theories and research on literacy and bilingualism are collated here with practical suggestions for teachers on how to develop the literacy skills of their bilingual students. Research and theory are applied to classroom practice to help the reader validate teaching decisions.

Grounded in state-of-the-art research, this book explores how English language learners develop both the oral language and literacy skills necessary for school success. Chapters examine the cognitive bases of English acquisition, and how the process is different for children from alphabetic (such as Spanish) and nonalphabetic (such as Chinese) language backgrounds. The book addresses a key challenge facing educators and clinicians: identifying students whose poor English skills may indicate an underlying impairment, as opposed to still-developing language proficiency. Implications for diagnosis, intervention, and instruction are highlighted throughout.

The new edition of Bilinguality and Literacy argues that bilingual children's literacy learning in English is necessarily an intercultural process. Children's voices are strong in this revised, updated and expanded edition and looks closely at bilingual children's writing development in view of the Ofsted statement that 'fluent bilingual pupils struggle with writing (2003).' Bilinguality and Literacy will be of interest to undergraduate students of applied linguistics, teacher training courses, and academics researching multilingualism and literacy.

Describes how intellectual development of bilingual children differs from that of monolingual children.

Contrary to previously held beliefs that bilingualism wonder hinder cognitive and language development in children, research has shown that bilingual children show enhanced cognitive flexibility and an ability to better focus their attention. This book explores both emergent literacy and bilingualism in children in four Asian countries - Hong Kong, Singapore, Myanmar, and Taiwan, giving specific examples of how adults (including parents, teachers, and other education professionals) can use creative interaction – as opposed to rote learning – to increase children’s interest in learning English as a second language. This is especially important in the increasingly computer-connected world, where innovation can be key in making second language learning both interesting and effective. Specific contributions to this volume include a case study of Taiwanese families analyzing home videos of their children’s responses to the task of reading a Mandarin picture book; of vocabulary instruction in Hong Kong which requires children to gain triple language proficiency (Cantonese, English, and Mandarin); of the relation between Cantonese proficiency amongst 5 year olds in Hong Kong and their receptiveness to learning new English vocabulary; of the relation between English reading ability and Mandarin speaking ability amongst Singaporean children; of the importance of teachers’ sensitivity to gender differences among 6 year olds in Singapore learning English as a second language; of the active promotion of storytelling by teachers in Myanmar, in order to develop children’s interest in story structure, and to stimulate early language skills; and of an emphasis on family-based emergent literacy activities for children in Taiwan. This book was originally published as a special issue of Early Child Development and Care.

The research in this unique collection lies at the interface between the fields of bilingualism and literacy. It deepens our understanding of the significance of reading and writing as social practices and opens up new lines of inquiry for research on multilingualism. The authors incorporate theoretical and methodological insights from both fields and provide detailed accounts of everyday practices of reading and writing in different multilingual settings. The focus is primarily on linguistic minority groups in Britain and on the language and literacy experiences of children and adults in rural and urban communities. Together, the chapters of the volume build up a rich and illuminating picture of specific ways in which literacy is bound up with cultural practices and with different ways of seeing the world. They also address fundamental questions about the relationship between language, literacy and power in multi-ethnic contexts.