There is a lively debate about the language variety best used when a book is translated. The intended audience and purpose of the book will determine this:
The presence of two texts on the page raises issues of language status:
The most comprehensive discussion of the nature and use of dual language books in the English education system since the early 1980s can be found in a book which provides guidance for teachers on a range of resources designed to encourage the use of languages other than English in the classroom. The views of children and teachers were sought regarding different materials and their use in a research project based at the University of Reading (The Multilingual Resources for Children Project, 1995).
Teachers consulted noted that, whereas books in a single language could only really be used by readers of that language, dual language books were accessible to a much wider range of pupils. Teachers reported feeling confident about using them for raising awareness of languages and encouraging children to share their languages and promoting pride in language skills and cultural identity. Children who used the books shared these views and were particularly aware of the positive effect their presence in the classroom would have on children new to English faced with unfamiliar classroom materials. Teachers reported that children new to English who were literate in their first language could use the books to support their understanding of the English text and to help them develop new vocabulary. Edwards (1998) has noted that “…dual texts represent a very valuable way of keeping other languages in high profile; they also offer opportunities for teachers to encourage children’s biliterate development”
Multilingual Resources for Children Project, 1995. Building Bridges:
Multilingual Resources for Children. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters
with the University of Reading
Edwards,V. 1998. The Power of Babel: Teaching and Learning in Multilingual Classrooms.
Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books
As well as the choice of media, of language variety and illustration, production values are a rich source of research. There is need for evaluation of recent developments in this field in the range of media in use.
As mentioned in the introduction, there are many different purposes for using dual language books in educational settings. A research collection, such as the one being built up by the Cass School of Education and Communities , should encompass a range of texts suitable for different purposes and different areas of research. However, as resources are limited, there is an initial focus in the collection on texts for younger children that reflect the languages and cultures of their families, in the current east London context.
While printed texts have great value for familiarising young children with different written codes, recorded and interactive texts are particularly useful in contexts where children (and their teachers) may lack literacy skills in the languages used. The collection will include examples of the increasingly diverse and experimental material available on CD and DVD.
The work carried out by the Dual Language Action Research group at UEL in conjunction with the publisher Mantra revealed the value of games and artefacts associated with texts. When possible these will be included in the collection as they can stimulate the production of new and innovative materials.
Will the presence of two texts encourage children to:
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The Cass School of Education and Communities is a highly successful provider of teacher training and educational programmes, playing a key role in the provision of education services throughout East London and beyond.
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