Page 8 - ELG2104 Apr Issue 475

RESEARCH NEWS .

Mapping language skills in the ESL classroom

Appreciating first languages boosts confidence and learning in school children

By Gillian Ragsdale
Mapping students’ first language
skills can improve English
teaching and learning in the PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK
multilingual classroom, according
to a study by Jacqueline D’warte
at Western Sidney University
in Australia.
Classrooms around the world
are becoming ever increasingly
linguistically diverse, in fact,
‘super-diverse’. In the UK and
Australia, for example, over 300
languages are spoken in schools
and 20% of British primary school
pupils have English as a second
language (ESL).
While English-medium schools
focus, understandably, on acquiring
English, little attention has been
paid to the linguistic knowledge
and skills that ESL students bring to
the classroom. D’warte’s research
investigated how this cultural and
linguistic capital can be leveraged
to further language learning.
D’warte’s study looked at
three grade five (10-11 year olds)
multilingual classes in Western
Sidney, the most super-diverse
area in Australia. The study aimed Help ESL kids value their L1 skills to build their confidence
to assess the impact of encouraging
pupils to examine how they gap between English and other with comments on each context, Pupils generally dismiss their
communicate in their mother language competencies was also eg, “I usually speak in Tamil to my other linguistic skills while being
tongue, and share this with each seen to imply a general lack grandparents.” keenly aware of the gap between
other and their teachers. of academic ability. For example, Several themes emerged their competencies in their
A central part of the data from a pupil: “I am not smart, from analysing the maps and mother tongue and in English.
consisted of 50 ‘language maps’ I need to learn English better, interviews. Students tended to Reflecting on the skills they take
drawn following the instruction: not Urdu.” clearly divide different language for granted can increase their
‘Think about the ways you Students worked on their contexts, such as home, online, sense of agency and autonomy –
communicate every day, reading, language maps over a week. friends and school, and these feelings well-known to enhance
writing, talking, listening and This activity was facilitated divisions were seen as normal and all kinds of learning.
viewing in one or more languages by bringing in older students, natural, eg, “The tree is nature The interviews revealed how both
inside of school. Use a blank A4 parents and teaching aides to help separating my home and school students’ and teachers’ expectations
paper and colouring materials to with translation and ‘language language and things.” were raised by the map-making
map/draw what you do.’ brokering’, ie, the common The maps also highlighted that activity. As one teacher commented:
A thematic analysis was then practice of children and adults part of a student’s sense of identity “I have learned so much about my
carried out on these maps, as well translating and interpreting for that relates to their first language students… I have come to see ways
as teacher interviews and student each other. Teachers helped with and gets little expression in the to include this in teaching. It has
focus groups. Teachers initially question prompts. classroom, such as, “This is India! made a difference to many students,
commented that they were unsure The resulting maps illustrated I’m originated here.” The maps to their confidence and ability, and
how to make use of their pupils’ the contexts and practices also allowed the students to be to mine.”
first language skills. For example, associated with students’ first (and the experts in the room, giving
one teacher said: “Well, I know other) languages. For example, new information.
that a large range of languages are a map showing India in the Making the maps enabled REFERENCE
spoken… but I don’t know where centre, where the student’s first students (and teachers) to ■ D’warte, J. (2021) ‘Facilitating
to begin, what to do.” language, Tamil, is spoken. Then, consciously consider the different agency and engagement: Visual
Teachers were clearly aware around this are pictures showing ways that they use language and methodologies and pedagogical
of the requirement to meet other language contexts, such the many linguistic skills they interventions for working with
examination standards in English, as school, home, mobile phone, have. For example, translating for culturally and linguistically diverse
and both teachers and students grandparents’ house, friend’s family and navigating online using young people’, Language Teaching
attached little value to non- house and an aeroplane flying to social media, downloading music Research, 25(1), pp. 12–38. doi:
English language skills. The India. There are speech bubbles and following sports. 10.1177/1362168820938826.
8 March 2021