Handbucheinträge_ENGLISCH_alle_NEU

Support of immigrant children 

in day care centres 

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1) Report by Carmen Wagner | Höhere Berufsfachschule für 

Sozialassistenz 

Work Placement Institution: 

Treetops Nursery, Doyle Gardens, London, NW10 3SQ 

Situation 1 

Description of the situation 

Objects like windows, sinks or welcome-signs in the entrance area are lettered in different 

languages and the flag associated with that language. The flags are colorfully colored. Nursery 

nurses explain the lettering, if the children are interested, since many children can't read it or do 

not know the flags. 

Observed support 

The children are often interested in the lettering; they ask the nursery nurses what is written there. 

The explanation of the lettering and the conversation about it can foster the childrens’ interest in 

foreign languages. The children want to learn new words and speak with the other children about 

words they have learned. The conversation and the explanation of some words among the children 

(who may know them from their own language), can promote the children linguistically and 

socially. 

Advice for the practical implementation in German day care centres 

Also in German nursery schools they can put up letterings with the (colorfully colored) associated 

flag on some things like windows or chairs for example. The nursery nurses should explain the 

meaning of the different letterings and flags in our country, if the children are interested. Also they 

can prepare a talk round about the topic of foreign languages. 

Situation 2 


Children's songs, which are known and loved by the children, like "The good morning song", are 

sung in different languages. In this way the immigrant children often have often the possibility of 

explaining how these songs are sung in their own language. 

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The children like to join in. They show interest about learning songs in different languages. Like in 

the situation described before, immigrant children have the opportunity to contribute something 

and to get recognition from the other children and the nursery nurses, like, in this case, translating 

each song, so that they can all learn to sing the song together. It is a great way to linguistically and 

socially promote the childrens’ development. Of course, all this happens with the help of the 

nursery nurses. 


Also in German nursery schools we could start to sing well-known and popular children's songs in 

different languages. Immigrant children can help to translate the songs. 

Situation 3 


In the reading corner of the preschoolers and also in the rooms of the toddlers there are some 

foreign-language books, which the children can take anytime they want. These books are read 

from time to time in the sitting rounds, if the children propose to read some of these books. If 

there are questions, the nursery nurses make also sometimes initiate a talk round about the topic 

of the book, the language in which it is written or the country of the language. The immigrant 

children can translate the story of the book, if it is written in their own language and if they want 

to do it. 


By reading and listenting to the books, the children learn new words of another language and often 

they get interested to learn more about these languages. In doing so, the children be promoted 

linguistically. Immigrant children often have the opportunity to translate the story, talk about their 

own country or their language. That can again lead to recognition of the immigrant children, to a 

great deal of fun when hearing their own language, or only to a feeling of pride because these 

children may be the only ones who understood the story. In this way, the children are promoted 

socially. 

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As well in Germany the nursery schools can keep some foreign language books in its rooms, which 

are freely accessible for the children and which will be read on request. Nursery nurses can also, 

on request, initiate talk rounds about the book, its story, its language or the country of the 

language. 

2) Report by Selina Zimmermann | Fachschule für Sozialpädagogik 


Bright Start Day Care, London 

Situation 1 


In the reading corner in the grouproom, there is a cardboard called „visual sign board“. It has 

different cards on it with visual signs the children can use to communicate. Every week the 

teachers change the signs and choose one as the “sign of the week“. 


The teacher sits in the reading corner and shows the children a sign and its meaning. The children 

repeat it and learn how to commuinicate with each other. Even if they haven't learned the 

language, they are able to tell their needs. Taught are signs for eating, drinking, fire emergency 

and so on. 

Advice for the practical implementation in German day care cenres 

We can create such a cardboard here together with the children. In circletime the signs could be 

discussed and taught. 

social 

Situation 2 


The teachers create a plan for the whole week, based on the childrens’ interests. They write down 

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how the activities will be realized and which vocabulary will be used. There is also a section for 

younger children and those with special needs. Here the teachers write down easier activities and 

vocabulary. 


One afternoon we were allowed to help a teacher in the planning process. We developed ideas 

about the question of how everybody can participate in the activity. 


Every step in projects or activities can be arranged in different degrees of difficulty for the children, 

so that everyone can join in. It's part of inclusion to make the sorrounding conditions suitable for 

every child. 

cultural/social 

Situation 3 


In the garden there is a big tree designed by the children. The trunk consists of footprints, the 

leaves are made of handprints. All around the tree there are cards with different languages, where 

you can see how the different parts of the tree are called. 


The children recognize their own foot- and handprints as one piece of the whole artwork. It's a 

symbol for being part of the group. The different countries and languages are all tolerated. 


Creative activities are an excellent way to create a community feeling. The artworks make the 

children proud of what they reached and they see how teamwork can be. It’s also interesting for 

them to learn a few words in another language. 

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3) Report by Sara Partika | Fachschule für Sozialpädagogik 


Little Learners Pre-School, London 

Situation 1 


The whole group is sitting in the garden, listening a story the teacher is telling. One little girl is 

ignoring them. She wants to play a game in the garden and keeps standing up, because she wants 

to walk around. The teacher says, “Sit down and listen to the story!“ But the little girl doesn’t 

understand what the teacher says because she speaks another language. Sometimes the girl 

understands a little bit but most of the time the girl doesn’t understand what the teacher means. 


The teacher says to the little girl, “Sit down please“ in English and makes a movement with her 

hands. The move shows her to sit down. She doesn’t understand what the teacher means. Then 

the teacher uses the language of the girl (Indian) to say, “Sit down“, which is why she now 

understands what the teacher asks her to do. At the same time the teacher repeats the sentence 

in English. 


When the children don’t understand what you ask them to do, you can show them what you mean 

using gestures. When you speak the native language well you can tell the children what you want 

in the native language and then repeat the same sentence in English. 

Situation 2 


A new child comes into the group and doesn’t speak English. It is very important that the new child 

learns the English language quickly. 


Every teacher has „visual cues“. These “visual cues“ show pictures of things from everyday life and, 

above that, the expression explaining the picture. When the child wants something she/he asks 

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the teacher. The teacher shows the “visual cues“ to the children and she/he can choose one of 

them. In order to give the children the possibility to learn the English language the teacher uses 

the new word in a full sentence. 


When you teach a new language to children, it is very important to use full sentences and repeat 

the phrase as often as you can. The “visual cues“ help them to learn the language easier and faster. 

The children see the pictures and understand what the teacher means because she/he knows what 

the picture stands for. 

Situation 3 


A new child comes in the group and speaks a different language. The teacher must help the 

children to learn the English language. 


A new child is joining the group and is sitting in the building corner. The teacher is sitting next to 

him /her, speakin English with him/her. The teacher has a red car in his/her hand and shows it to 

him/her. Then the teacher names the object using just two words, namely “red car“. 


Children should learn easy words at the begining. The teacher should use only two expressions for 

the objects. It is important that the children can see the objects in order for them to make it easier 

to understand. 

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4) Report by Sari-Veren Öholm | Fachschule für Sozialpädagogik 


Bright Start Day Care, London 


The information board in the day care centre (for parents AND children) shows different 

descriptions of different kinds of words (like water (engl.)- wasser (german)- apa (romanian)). 

If the children have difficulties understanding a word the teacher said, they have the opportunity 

to go to the board and look it up again. 


With checking up the words on the board again the children get the chance to build up their self 

esteem with improving their language skills on their own. They don't need the help from the 

teacher directly because they are much more independent with learning and discovering their 

interests. 

Hints for the practical implementation in German day care centres 

The teachers have the opportunity to print out parent letters in the languages they need to 

communicate in the way they need to with the parents from different countries. The letters 

sometimes get handed directly to the parents or hung up on the information board (it depends 

what the matter of the topic or situation is). Also the new words (on the information board) give 

the parents an input to learn and improve their language skills as well. 

5) Report by Maria Weber | Fachschule für Sozialpädagogik 


Bluebell Montessori, London 

sprachlich 

Situation 1 


In the company there is a three-year-old girl. She speaks only Rumanian. Her mom, who works in 

this company, speaks only Rumanian, too. She can understand some things but she can’t speak 

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English very well. The little girl is very interested in the English language. She would like to 

understand it. When someone speaks English with her she repeats it. The little girl show us with 

her finger when she would like something and says, “that“. Naturally, the children use their body 

language to express what they need or like. 


In many cases it’s the teacher who most strikingly influences the children’s process of learning 

English. The teacher talks to the children in English only and does not use their mother tongue. 

When a child points to a book with its finger, the teacher says, “This is a book, do you like it?“ The 

teacher naturally asks in English and avoids the mother tongue (our boss in this case speaks 

Rumanian as well, but nevertheless she speaks only English with the little girl). The teacher also 

speaks in complete sentences instead of single words. 


In Germany they mostly handle it the same way. 

Situation 2 

linguistic social cultural 


Many children who are not yet proficient in English imitate a lot of things in different situations. 

The most of time they imitate their friends. They learns better and faster from their friends or 

other children when they play. For example, when the teacher says, “Sit down please!” and a 

child who understand the language sits down, then the child who doesn’t understand it imitates 

it. The child can link the words and the action. 


Playing together, singing and dancing promotes the community 

feeling and a playful encounter with the new language. In the nursery, 

they sing and dance a lot. Most of the time they dance and sing on the 

cultural carpet. On this carpet you can see different children. They 

look different in terms of skin color, which can be white, black or 

Asian, and/or the face shape is different. The songs they sing often deal with everyday situations. 

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According to the approach of Maria Montessori, it is important that little children learn a language 

with stories, games, songs and rhymes. This method is helpful for learning the vocabulary and 

speaking with fun. 


In most nursery schools they don’t dance much with children. We cannot generalize this though, 

because there are some nursery schools where this is quite common. However, in my internships 

I have never experienced nursery nurses who danced with the children. 

Situation 3 

linguistic 

cultural 


What I also discovered in the nursery school were cards with different pictures on it, for example 

of a dog, a doll or a red dab of paint. A lot of children in this nursery school are from different 

countries, such as Poland, Bulgaria, China , India , England , Romania and Lithuania. With the help 

of these cards they can learn colors, objects or motives. But all in all they need the help of a 

teacher. 


In a silent minute the teacher works with only one child. The teacher puts the cards on the table. 

The child can now tell the teacher which of the objects it can already name, for example a cat. 

Subsequently the teacher takes the cards the child could not label and tells him what is on it. The 

child repeats it. With the help of the pictures on the cards the children learn what kind of thing 

they should imagine when I say, “This is a dog”. The children understand what a “dog” is. 


I’ve never seen cards like this in German nursery schools before. I really liked these cards, 

because the children can link the word with the picture and this is a simple way to learn the 

language. 

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