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Subject:
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Bilingual Education in the Early Years
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Question:
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I am a student specializing in early years education with a focus of English as an additional language as my dissertation subject. I am particularly interested in whether people feel that the early education system (particularly in the UK) successfully accommodates the learning needs of young EAL/bilingual children. If so, how? Similarly, if not, what strategies could be employed to cater more successfully for individual needs?
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Reply:
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In a word, no.
I would define a bilingual child as one who speaks more than one language. You seem to be defining a bilingual child as one who does not speak English before coming to school. Children who come to school without knowing English seldom have any problem learning English. The problem is that there is no support for home languages other than the languages with official status in the UK.
Thus, the only bilingual education in the state sector is Welsh/English in Wales and Gaelic/English in some places in Scotland (there is also some Irish/English available in Northern Ireland. Other than that there is no support whatever for languages other than English.
I see this as the main problem. There are practical problems in addressing support for home languages, but more could be done.
Anthea
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Reply From:
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Anthea Fraser Gupta
click here to access email
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| Date: |
Nov-04-2009
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Other Replies:
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Re: Bilingual Education in the Early Years
Susan Fischer
(Nov-02-2009)
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