Using and Researching Dual Language Books for Children
A Resource for Teachers and Researchers
What are they?
Dual text books are published in two languages. Texts for children
may have both languages on one page or two languages facing each other
on alternate pages. Books published in the UK generally have English
as one of the languages.
The Cass School of Education at UEL is in the process of building a substantial
collection of these books for teaching and research.
Why?
- Because more than 300 languages are spoken in London (Philip & Baker,
2000) and there is a growing interest in building on and developing
the language skills of London children.
- Because the value of community languages is being increasingly
recognised in education. See
Positively Plurilingual
- Because in the context of the National Languages Strategy (Languages
for All: Languages for Life www.dfes.gov.uk/languagesstrategy/)
primary schools are developing language teaching which includes
community languages as well as the more traditional “Modern Foreign
Languages”. CILT (www.cilt.org.uk/primary/).
- Because the Primary National Strategy’s “Learning and Teaching
for Bilingual Children in the Primary Years” (DCFS 2006) supports
and encourages the development of children’s bilingualism (www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/publications/inclusion/bi_children/)
as does the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum (www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/eyfs/site/4/tables/0_2_0_10.htm)
- Because the range of languages available at GCSE, A Level and
in MFL PGCEs is widening and the DCFS are recognising the important
role played by complementary schools in developing community language
skills. Visit the site of the National Resource Centre for Supplementary
Education for further information: www.continyou.org.uk/content.php?CategoryID=631 and
the National Centre for Languages: www.cilt.org.uk/commlangs/index.htm
- Because reading simultaneously in two languages is a very under-researched
area of language and literacy development.
So what are we aiming to do?
We are working to build on the success of a small action research
project carried out by MA students and interested teachers in the
Cass School of Education (2002-2004), on the extensive language skills
of the School’s student body and to make use of the very multilingual
contexts of schools in east London to stimulate further practitioner
and academic research in this area. The collection of dual language
books that the School is developing aims to
- promote the use of dual language books and other language materials
in the classroom with a view to creating a bank of shared ideas
and resources for teachers
- encourage undergraduates, student and trainee teachers and post
graduate and research students who have an interest in bilingualism
and multilingual issues to explore the potential of such materials
as part of their research projects and to make their findings available
to others
- work with publishers to evaluate multilingual materials and to
stimulate the publication of new resources to meet the needs of
pupils, parents and teachers.
Find out more!
If you have examples of work using dual language texts that you would
like to bring to our attention, or you require further information
about the Cass School of Education’s projects, please contact Dr Raymonde
Sneddon at r.m.sneddon@uel.ac.uk
STOP PRESS :
NEW: Poems for .... One World
60 inspirational new poems in many languages to doanload free. See Multilingual Resources section.
New books reviewed:
Have fun with Panjabi by Kiran Lyall and Venisha Sudra. Buzzword UK, 2010.
Les animaux ne veulent pas se laver / These animals don’t want to wash (JN Paquet, illustrated by R Le Pommelec) JN Paquet Books, 2010.
Estes aniamis nao querem se lavar / These animals don’t want to wash
Les animaux ne veulent pas manger / These animals don’t want to eat (JN Paquet, illustrated by R Le Pommelec) JN Paquet Books, 2010.
Estes animais nao querem comer / These animals don’t want to eat
Fluffy the Vulture / Count Ten - in nine languages (from Belifan)
Quelle heure est-il, Monsieur Loup? / What's the time Mister Wolf (from Bramhall Publishing)
Ijapa ati Aja / The tortoise and the dog (from Lolipops Publications) review by Dr Abiola Ogunsola
See Reviews Section in right hand box
Now available: Raymonde Sneddon
Bilingual Books - Biliterate children - Learning to read through dual language books. Trentham Books - publication September 2009
Tales in Translation. An exploration of the translation of ten dual language picture books in English and French.
CILT: Our Languages Project
Visit this site for information on an innovative DCSF funded project to foster collaboration between complementary and maintained schools and to provide support for community language teaching. www.cilt.org.uk/commlangs/our_langs/
June 2010
© 2007
The Cass School of Education 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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