Multilingual Early Language Transmission (MELT) - Mercator ...

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Children, with the minority language as home language, attending pre-school provisions where early immersion programs are offered in the majority (mostly State language) will not develop into balanced multilingual students. The status of the minority language is low and the development of the home language can be interrupted (Campos & Rosenberg 1995, Duquette 1992). Cummins describes that those pre-school programs, that minority language speakers teach in the minority language, ultimately lead to better results in the majority language, than programs when a part is taught in the minority language. The level of development of children’s mother tongue is a strong predictor of their second language development Good minority pre-school programs may eventually lead to a better command of the majority language (Campos & Rosenberg, 1995; Cummins 2000). Research shows that the langauge attitude of adults effects the language attitude of children. López (2005) claims that children follow their parents’ attitude and that a positive parental attitude positively affects the language learning progress. The sudy of McGrath & Repetti (2000) shows that there is a relationship between parental expectations and the actual academic achievements of their children. These two statements also apply for regional & minority languages. 4.4 Conclusion and model continuous multilingual development The described theories and the conclusions of the literature study in chapter 2 and 3 lead to the recommendations stresses that the target language whitin the pre-school provisions for children aged 0-4 years should be in the conscious minority language. Parents and preschool practitioners should choose conscious about the language they speak to the children and the way of immersion should be determined and should be discussed. Parent should think of their own ’linguistic attitude’ and behaviour accords to the minority language. Because, it is important that children feel invited and encouraged to use language(s) in their social environment (family, relatives, pre-school teachers and other children) and at school. Language acquiring only at academic (CALP) 97 level is not enough, rather preferred is to learn language(s) in different contexts and situations and to use two (or three) languages in everyday situations, during the whole day. Conclusion of the previous paragraph is that the best strategy to raise a bilingual child is the one who suits the child the best. Every family setting is different and parents have to decide which strategy is the best one in their particular setting. In a minority bilingual family setting some strategies are better fitting than others. Where parents speak a minority language to their children, and where the language of the community and education is the dominant, majority language whatever the type of acquisition is, simultaneously or sequentially/successively, the degree of bilingualism attained can be the same. If the factors and the need for a language are present and the child has a natural development (see the figure below and the previous paragraphs) then all conditions are fulfilled to grow up multilingually and to go multilingually through life in adulthood. For the language maintenance of the different languages and to continue as a 97 CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency) and BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) are explained in chapter 2.5. 66
multilingual person it is important that all the factors, the need to use a language, the natural development and the ‘fitting’ strategy are all in balance. If all these conditions are fulfilled during different developmental stages (infant, toddler, school child, adolescent and young adult) and for all conditions is continued attention than we can speak of a “continuous multilingual development” and the child will develop to a continuous and long lasting multilingual adult. Figure 4.2 presents the conditions for a continuous multilingual development. Those conditions are based on the theories and studies presented in the before chapters and the experiences during the MELT project. Figure 4.1 The ‘continuous multilingual development’ model. 67
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Multilingual Early Language Transmi
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The MELT project is carried out in
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in chapter 4, have demonstrated tha
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4.2 Early immersion approach in pre
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The MELT project aims: - to identif
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The tasks, deliverables and respons
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1.2.1 Guide for pre-school practiti
Page 15 and 16: 1.2.4 Expert seminars and conferenc
Page 17 and 18: 2. Information on best practices in
Page 19 and 20: However, the European Commission an
Page 21 and 22: 2.2 Fryslân in the Netherlands 2.2
Page 23 and 24: those of single parents, attend the
Page 25 and 26: The Foundation SFBO was founded in
Page 27 and 28: speaking children; the idea is that
Page 29 and 30: Child-staff ratios and maximum grou
Page 31 and 32: 2.4 Wales in UK 2.4.1 Background in
Page 33 and 34: of the nursery and playgroups. In W
Page 35 and 36: It combines what currently was call
Page 37 and 38: 2.5 Brittany in France 2.5.1 Backgr
Page 39 and 40: Collaboration between pre-school pr
Page 41 and 42: Parents in Brittany are mostly also
Page 43 and 44: 2.5.3 Training of practitioners The
Page 45 and 46: 2.6 Summary of best practices in th
Page 47 and 48: 3. Multilingual Early Language Tran
Page 49 and 50: ecognised as a language or not; in
Page 51 and 52: ‘starting age’, ‘social and g
Page 53 and 54: 3.3 Definition of Multilingual Earl
Page 55 and 56: This general division in years is f
Page 57 and 58: should adopt strategies to reinforc
Page 59 and 60: children was not good for their int
Page 61 and 62: 4. Multilingual Early Language Tran
Page 63 and 64: status even if the grounds are some
Page 65: The “language-time” strategy is
Page 69 and 70: 5.1.1. Quality of language input Th
Page 71 and 72: answers with a physical response su
Page 73 and 74: acquisition. Some pre-school staff
Page 75 and 76: Most participating settings are now
Page 77 and 78: has to be able to understand the ne
Page 79 and 80: 6. Recommendations and challenges L
Page 81 and 82: 6.3 Multilingual Early Language Tra
Page 83 and 84: 6.5 Challenges for the future At mi
Page 85 and 86: References Alvarez, L., Mac Swan, J
Page 87 and 88: Duquette, G. (1992). The home cultu
Page 89 and 90: McGrath, E., Repetti, R. L. (2000).
Page 91 and 92: 7. “Early Bilingual Development:
Page 93 and 94: Needless to say, if parents themsel
Page 95 and 96: Let's compare Pelle's case with the
Page 97 and 98: languages they are learning. Also,
Page 99 and 100: equires a heightened attention on t
Page 101 and 102: 8. “Immersion Preschooling in Ire
Page 103 and 104: Curriculum and Training for Irish M
Page 105 and 106: using the language every day...with
Page 107 and 108: This is supported by research showi
Page 109 and 110: References Baker, C. (1997). Langua
Page 111 and 112: Ó Laoire, M. (2006). Language educ
Page 113 and 114: Those of us working for this progra
Page 115 and 116: of 180 study points whereof 20 are
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exclude the increasing social class
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References Advisory Board for Early
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Appendix A: Partnership of the MELT
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Appendix B: MELT Project flyer Engl
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Dutch version: Frisian version: 125
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Appendix C: MELT Awareness-raising
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This project has been funded with s
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