Part I.pdf - MTB-MLE Network

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Features of strong MLE programmesSustainable MLE programmes in Asia can be divided into four general stages although the lengthof time and specific activities of each stage are context-specific. [Note that in the model below,“L1” refers to the language the learner knows best – their heritage language or the LWC. “L2”refers to the new language that they want to learn, either the LWC or their heritage language.]Stage 1Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4Build fluency &comprehensionin oral L1 (forchildren)Begin literacyin L1Use L1 as MOIBuild fluency &comprehensionin oral and written L1Begin learning oralL2Continuing usingL1 as MOIContinue L1 literacyBuild fluency &comprehension in oralL2Bridge to literacy in L2Use both languages asMOIUse both/all language incontinuing educationNon-formal system• Reading clubs• Distance education• Community learningcenters• Vocational trainingBegin addingadditional languages,as desiredFormal system• Primary• Secondary• TertiaryStages of MLE programmes in ethnic minority communitiesStage 1 – Beginning Literacy. An early emphasis in Stage 1 of children’s (but not adults’)programmes is on oral language development. Activities involve talking about familiar people,places and activities, singing songs, acting out stories and playing games. The learners (childrenand adults) are introduced to reading and writing in their L1, which is also used as mediumof instruction (MOI). Curriculum and reading materials are based on topics that are familiarto the learners and relevant to their lives.Stage 2 – Fluency. Emphasis now is on gaining fluency in reading and writing the L1, whichis still used as the MOI. Also at this stage, teachers introduce the learners to oral L2(no reading and writing yet).Stage 3 – Bridging. As the learners have attained fluency in L1 literacy and are gainingconfidence in using L2 orally, they begin bridging to L2 literacy. The duration of the bridgingprocess is determined by several factors, among them the degree of difference between theoral and written forms of the L1 and L2, the availability of reading materials in both languages,the teachers’ educational level and quality of training, the availability of instructional materialsthat focus on the bridging process and the age and previous education of the learners.Unfortunately, this crucial stage is too often initiated without careful planning, good teachertraining or relevant materials. Consequently, this is the point at which MLE programmesmost frequently fail. Careful attention to the bridging strategy, good instructional materialsand good training and supervision of the teachers help to ensure that the learners will succeedat this stage.76
Stage 4 – Ongoing education. At this stage, minority language learners should be able tocontinue learning in both their first and second languages, either in the formal or non-formaleducation systems or through informal learning.Challenges to developing MLE programmes in multilingual contextsMost people agree that it makes little sense to force children or adults to learn in a language theyneither speak nor understand. Why, then, has there not been more support for MLE? The followingreasons are frequently given why MLE “can’t be done”:“Supporting diversity will foster divisiveness and lead to ethnic conflict.” Some LWC speakersclaim that linguistic and cultural diversity leads to ethnic strife, arguing that a single languageand culture are necessary for national unity. A glance at recent and current history shows theopposite is more often true: it is when their language and ethnicity are suppressed that peopleare more likely to rebel. Consider the Bangladeshis who fought a war and gained independencefrom Pakistan over the issue of language, the Lithuanians, whose anger over the mandatoryuse of Russian in their schools was an early factor leading to their break with the Soviet Unionor the Catalonians who are even now agitating against what they perceive as the Spanishgovernment’s linguistic and cultural imperialism. Compare those situations with Papua NewGuinea where the government has initiated early education in over 300 of the country’s820 languages. PNG celebrates rather than regrets its diversity, as noted by John Waiko, formerMinister of Education:Our greatest national resource is the diversity of cultures in our country. Diversity means more viewpointsto clarify, more ways of solving problems, more creative ideas, a greater ability to deal with change…Where diversity is crushed…the nation becomes weak and divided (Waiko, 1997).“Learning in one’s first language will mean less success in learning a second language.”The argument here is that ML learners need as much time-on-task as possible in the LWC,even if they do not speak and understand it in the beginning – that giving time to learningthe ML will result in poor learning of the LWC. Williams and Cooke argue that the oppositeis true:It is abundantly clear that education in a language that few learners, and not all teachers, have mastereddetracts from quality and compounds the other problems of economically impoverished contexts (Williams& Cooke, 2002: 317, quoted in Benson, 2003, unpublished paper).In fact, the argument that it’s better to “submerge” 12 learners directly in the LWC, even thoughthey neither speak nor understand it, makes so little pedagogical sense that one must assumethat educators making such an argument have other reasons for resisting MLE.The fact that this is also the reason why some ethnic minority parents resist MLE programmesfor their children emphasizes the need for more and better awareness-raising in theircommunities. Unfortunately, awareness-raising and/or mobilization among the intendedbeneficiaries of MLE programmes is too often forgotten in the hurry to establish programmes.12That is, forcing a learner to learn in a strange language is equivalent to throwing a child into deep water in order to teach thechild to swim.77
Page 3 and 4:
Asia-Pacific Programme of Education
Page 5 and 6:
FOREWORDSome 6,000-7,000 languages
Page 7 and 8:
Part IOutcomes of the Workshop
Page 9 and 10:
used as the medium of educational i
Page 11 and 12:
Viet NamApproximately 100 languages
Page 13 and 14:
Regionally, there is an increased i
Page 15 and 16:
stakeholders - will share the respo
Page 17 and 18:
materials for children. The researc
Page 19 and 20:
non-formal bilingual education prog
Page 21 and 22:
materials for minority language gro
Page 23 and 24:
NepalNepal is a land-locked country
Page 25 and 26: UNESCO-APPEAL, the Office of Non-fo
Page 27 and 28: CHAPTER 3Community Mobilization and
Page 29 and 30: Case Study: Cambodia - Community Mo
Page 31 and 32: at a community/village forum. Initi
Page 33 and 34: CHAPTER 4Developing Minority Langua
Page 35 and 36: It is important that the principles
Page 37 and 38: ThailandStages in the development o
Page 39 and 40: Literature to help people move from
Page 41 and 42: • adapt majority language materia
Page 43 and 44: of books. There are teacher instruc
Page 45 and 46: to local pronunciation. During test
Page 47 and 48: Reflections on Field VisitSocio-eco
Page 49 and 50: Topic (includesubtopics)Issues Guid
Page 51 and 52: CHAPTER 7Training for Facilitators
Page 53 and 54: Training of FacilitatorsWhen?What?T
Page 55 and 56: E. Developed Hilltribes Curriculum
Page 57 and 58: CHAPTER 8Strategies and Tools for E
Page 59 and 60: Four Types of Evaluation in Literac
Page 61 and 62: • Constructive• Achievable and
Page 63 and 64: CHAPTER 9Strategies for Government
Page 65 and 66: a linguistically diverse country. T
Page 67 and 68: There is a desire to replicate and
Page 69 and 70: egional languages of education, and
Page 71 and 72: RESOURCE PAPERSEducation for Multil
Page 73 and 74: Lack of skills necessary for paid e
Page 75: in its third year, was planned spec
Page 79 and 80: “The minority languages lack grad
Page 81 and 82: • Provide funding or identify and
Page 83 and 84: Easton, C. (2003) Designing orthogr
Page 85 and 86: Benson, 2003) have come to the same
Page 87 and 88: The Role of Language in Learning:Wh
Page 89 and 90: eading skills in the mother tongue
Page 91 and 92: familiar, because they have learned
Page 93 and 94: ConclusionsThe findings of the stud
Page 95 and 96: Moll, L. (1992) Bilingual classroom
Page 97 and 98: It is often argued that providing e
Page 99 and 100: crucial in language development, cu
show all

Part I.pdf - MTB-MLE Network

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?