Supporting children with English as an additional language
Bi or multilingualism is a great asset for a child and has been shown to have a positive impact on future academic achievements. Whilst learning English is important for a child to succeed within an English school, it is equally important to recognise the need to support a child's first language; it has a continuing and significant role in their cultural identity, being able to communicate with extended family, future learning and the acquisition of additional languages.
Tips for parents to help children learn their home language:
For more information about the importance of language development and communication in children, follow the link below. This Essex-based website offers resources in multiple languages, giving tips and advice for parents.
Tips for parents to help children learn their home language:
- Talk to your child in your home language; talk about what you are doing whilst cooking, shopping, housework etc..
- Share nursery rhymes, poems and songs in your home language, feel free to share these at pre-school too - we'd love to learn them.
- Share stories in your home language and encourage your child to join in with the story telling. We have an increasing range of bi-lingual books you can borrow, or maybe you could visit your local library.
- Talk to your child about what they did at pre-school in your home language. We write a weekly blog where you can read about the most popular activities from the week, talk to your child about what they enjoyed or were involved in.
- If they use English words, repeat what they have said using your home language to help them build connections between concepts and words.
- Celebrate the languages you speak and ensure your child knows the names of the languages they speak - share this information with your child's key-person so they can support them accordingly.
- Look for local community groups where your child can meet other children with the same home-language.
For more information about the importance of language development and communication in children, follow the link below. This Essex-based website offers resources in multiple languages, giving tips and advice for parents.
