Creating a learning culture: Making it work in the classroom - NALDIC

In addition to many of the strategies listed above, the followingwill be supportive for children learning EAL in situations whereno one else in school shares their first language:• showing a general and academic interest in children’s languages,and encouraging them to be interested in each other’s languages(this develops understanding and use of metalanguage by allchildren);section 1• using ICT resources – audiotapes, video and film clips, duallanguagetexts as well as texts in the languages of the classroom;• exploring options for involving others: links with other schools, linkswith parents and carers and the wider community.Literacy skills in first languageEnsure that children with existing literacy skills in their first languageare encouraged to use these skills as tools for their learning, e.g. ‘midstream’arrivals from overseas, and children learning to read and writetheir community languages through supplementary education.Having the opportunity to become literate in the first languagepowerfully supports the development of literacy in an additionallanguage. It would therefore be good practice for schools withsignificant numbers of bilingual learners to afford them theopportunity to develop literacy in their community language throughthe National Languages Strategy.For school case studies describing the use of bilingualstrategies see the CD-ROM.Primary National Strategy | 2133-2006DCL-EN | © Crown copyright 2006Excellence and Enjoyment: learning and teaching for bilingual children in the primary yearsUnit 2: Creating the learning culture: making it work in the classroom 17