Useful Strategies in Dual Language Classroom
The Statement of The Problem.
In a preschool classroom setting, there are multiple reasons as to why reading and writing may become difficult for those who are learning in a dual language environment. Although the problem is not them learning another language, it is actually helping them to learn to speak, read and write it. The two languages English and Arabic are at complete total polar ends. Neither represent the other and neither use the same alphabet. For example French, Spanish and Italian use the same alphabetic letters so students feel more comfortable. Both languages English and Arabic are not compatible so there is a problem when learning one language if students grow up speaking the other.
Questions I would ask myself during this research.
What is making it difficult for students to learn another language and how would I resolve this?
Should objects in the classroom be labeled in both languages to help students learn better? Will the student go home using words they learned? Since Each Student is not on the same learning level how do we get them there? What will it take for students to learn another language?
Possible Methodologies:
Observe the students in the class at a specific educational institution. Have a check sheet and check off all the criteria’s that students meet and on another sheet check off the areas they don’t meet but need improvement on. Also check off the boxes that teachers and educators meet, have a second sheet for teachers to check off where they failed and need to improve their skills better. See if students are able to speak the words in the other language by identifying objects in the classroom with those words and focus on their pronunciation. See if the teachers actually put words on the objects themselves to help students learn.
Interview students to see If they use the words of the other language when they go home and speak it to family and friends and parents. Question the teachers on the type of homework they give students. Another methodology is to have a learning buddy in the class as well as to read words aloud off of the board or from their books. Yet another methodology is to see if teachers interact and help the students when they cannot pronounce the word properly. A final methodology is to observe if the teachers explain why the student got what they did wrong, not just mark it on paper in red ink. Ask the teachers what percentile of students improve.
Encouraging interaction in groups is useful and it helps to break down barriers between cultures and students. The aim here is to have an easy transaction from one language to another without any friction. The reason why this is done is because It is difficult to learn one language when a child grows up in a home speaking another language. Another reason for this is because the cultures are not the same and it’s good to get everyone in a comfortable setting before the process begins. The other part of the aim is to have a smooth learning environment that proves it can be done with success. When a class of students succeed that means a school can too without any fall backs or failures. This is necessary to prove it works.
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