"Effective language instruction of school language, often called medium of instruction, requires consciously acquired insights into home languages and cultural bearings of students of a class first and foremost. These insights on cultural and linguistic diversity and a home grown transitional course can lead to accommodation and inclusion in language learning for the new entrants to the school," said Dr Lalit Kishore whose Educational Research and Innovation Committee (ERIC)-approved study and papers [1] & [2} under ages of Jaipur-based CULP-NGO was accepted by the National Council for Educational Research and Training.
According to 'Practical guide to languages for Cambridge schools' [3], it is desirable that individual schools develop their own 'integrated language policy' that lays emphasis on the 'principles you (language instructor) will follow for all decisions about language in your curriculum and school' as well as 'school’s position on language, the mission and aims for your learners in relation to language and the guidelines for practices that will help achieve them.'
The Guide make the following pertinent points for the schools following the "Cambridge Assessment International Education" for developing consciously the'language skills, oracy and literacy'.
Going by the policy that language and identity are closely interrelated
Proving support the development of the first language for bilingual learners
Developing insights to reap cognitive, social and instrumental benefits to bilingualism.
Encouraging the use of language for communication
Further, the Guide urges the school to consciously know their learners by addressing the following questions implicating short-term transitional and accommodating courses.
• What is the language background of learners at your school?
• How do you support the development of your learners’ first language?
• How do you use the school’s linguistic and cultural diversity positively?
• How do you identify your learners’ needs for support with language?
• How do you provide support for language?
• How do you provide language-sensitive pastoral care?
Last, but not the least, the Guide provides paths for school functionaries and teachers the following suggestions for making English language instruction effective
Teaching learners at different stages of acquiring academic English
Plan language support to help learners understand and communicate content.
Highlight and pre-teach content vocabulary.
Give useful functional language (e.g. ‘if…, then…’ to describe cause and effect).
Give glossaries of key words in the first language and second language.
Provide a language-rich environment by using all four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing).
Be aware of ‘social language’ versus ‘academic language’.
Think aloud and describe what you are doing.
Give visual support using pictures and diagrams.
Use body language and gestures.
Give learners time.
Repeat, say a sentence in a different way and give examples.
Encourage learners to ask if they don’t understand.
Ask learners how they say the word or sentence in their first language.
Consider ‘translanguaging’ – read/listen/watch in one language, discuss/write in another.
Encourage language-learning skills (e.g. paraphrasing, asking for clarification, dictionary skills).
Encourage critical thinking about language (e.g. comparing languages, being precise, assessing their own progress in a language).
Give feedback on language as well as content.
If a resource is difficult, adapt the resource (e.g. simplify it) or help learners access it (e.g. reading strategies)
All this implicates that the schools must organize their language teachers an induction or refresher programme to understand the linguistic and cultural diversity among learners, collectively understand teacher guide provided by the examination board and undertake a few lesson studies under the guidance of 'teacher resource centre' and resource person.
For small schools, multilevel learning strategy with learning package, the first level of language learning is the transitional level which is 20-30 hour staggered course to bridge the cultural and linguistic gaps between homes and school, I tried and found
References
[1]
Kishore, L. (2011). From home language to school language with cultural linkage leads, Verti Education, 6(2), 28-29
[2]
Kishore, L. (2007). Overcoming Home Language (HL) and School Language (SL) Syndrome at Primary Stage: Changing Teachers and Schools through a Deliberate Effort. The Primary Teacher, 32(1-4), 37-42
[3]
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