1. No category

Dr Clare Kelly
Goldsmiths, University of London
‘What happens with children outside the
school is very separate from us, we don’t
really get to see that other part of the child,
and having worked particularly with the
older children they often don’t like to really
talk to you about it… I think they see that
side of their life as much more part of their
family and community, and the school –
sadly, I don’t know if they feel that as
much.’
Kenner & Ruby, 2012 p xi
Responding to pupils’ needs and overcoming potential barriers for
individuals and groups of pupils
‘4.5 Teachers must also take account of the needs of pupils whose
first language is not English. Monitoring of progress should take
account of the pupil’s age, length of time in this country, previous
educational experience and ability in other languages.
4.6 The ability of pupils for whom English is an additional language
to take part in the national curriculum may be in advance of their
communication skills in English. Teachers should plan teaching
opportunities to help pupils develop their English and should aim to
provide the support pupils need to take part in all subjects.’
DfE 2013, p.8
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Communication with the whole family and the community
Extending the enjoyment of reading and writing
Access to two cultures
Tolerance of other languages and cultures
Thinking benefits -Creative thinking , Sensitivity to Communication
, IQTests, A head start in reading
Raised self-esteem
Security in identity
Educational benefits
Easier to learn a third language
Employment advantages
http://www.assemblywales.org/paper_3_-_prof._colin_baker.pdf
In the London Borough of Lewisham
‘32.8% ( 5,718) of children speak a
language other than English as their first
language.’
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-theircharacteristics-january-2012.
Accessed 16.10.13
‘ London has the largest number of community
languages spoken in Europe. Over 300
languages are spoken in London schools.’
http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/londonfacts/default.htm?
category=2 accessed 16.10.13
More than 60 languages are taught to children
at complementary schools usually run by the
communities themselves with classes held
after school or at weekends.
http://www.naldic.org.uk/research-and-information/eal-researchtopics/bilingualism. Accessed 16.10.13
‘Complementary
schools are multilingual and
multiliterate sites which provide a safe space
outside mainstream school for maintenance and
transformation of young people’s community
languages and cultures.’
Creese & Martin, 2006 p.xiii
‘Although the course focuses on ethnic and linguistic diversity, we
guard against viewing it as having two separate parts. The issues
raised by both tutors will often apply to the same children and the
course is planned to focus on the interrelationship between
diversity, inclusion, equality and social justice.’
‘This course will tackle complex and controversial issues, and
students should come willing to speak openly and learn from each
others’ experiences. The aim is that the course will be both
personally challenging and stimulating, and that it will have a real
impact on your developing ideas about what it means to be a good
teacher.’
Excerpts from the introduction to the course in the module handbook.
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What are student teachers’ perceptions of
linguistic minority pupils’ learning after the
visit?
How can tutors build on that knowledge to
support students’ teaching of pupils from
diverse backgrounds?
Do bi/multilingual student teachers
understand how they can use their own
bilingualism in their teaching?
Based on Robertson, 2010
Sociocultural theory of learning: knowledge is
co-constructed and learning occurs through
social interactions in informal as well as formal
settings. Vygotsky, 1962; Cole, 1996; Rogoff,
2003, Gregory, Long & Volk, 2004.
Significance of complementary schools for identity development
supported through the interaction of language and culture and
impact on academic achievement.
(Creese & Blackledge, 2010; Lytra & Martin,2010; Issa & Williams,
2009; Martin et al, 2007; Li Wei, 2006; Creese et al, 2006.)
Mainstream teachers’ lack of knowledge of bilingual children’s
experience outside of school.
(Blackledge & Creese, 2010; Cummins, 2010; Hancock, 2009; Conteh
et al, 2007; Blackledge, 2006; Kenner, 2004; Gregory et al, 2004.)
Benefits of collaboration between teachers in complementary and
mainstream schools.
(Kenner & Ruby, 2012; Kenner et al, 2008; Conteh & Begum, 2008)
Benefits to students on an ITE course of visiting complementary
schools and reflecting on implications for their teaching .
(Robertson, 2010)
Individual semi structured interviews with
with four student teachers
 Semi-structured interviews and email
correspondence with headteachers
 Audi-recordings and transcriptions of whole
group feedback in college after the visits
 Informal discussions with children
 Observation in school during students’ visits
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Approximately 25 PGCE students each year
over three years
Visits were optional and took place at
weekends or after 4pm in schools across
London.
Students were asked to prepare for the visit
by reading Kenner & Ruby (2012), ‘Co-
constructing bilingual learning: an equal
exchange of strategies between
complementary and mainstream teachers’.
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Tamil
Arabic
Mandarin
Albanian
Russian
Bengali
Students observed
teaching
They spoke to
 children,
 staff,
 the headteacher
 parents (where
possible)
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Observe how children use their languages
and pay particular attention to different
speaking, listening, reading and writing
activities.
Observe how children use English
Analyse how children see themselves as
learners in these classrooms
Based on Robertson, 2010
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‘Thanks so much to you and your staff for allowing me to come
and observe lessons at your school today. I found it very
insightful, and it has given me a better understanding of the
experiences children have of complementary schools, as well as
seeing how switching between language aids learning. I hope to
use this experience to better aid me in my own teaching of
bilingual children.’
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‘When talking to the girls I learnt that the younger girls liked
learning with the older girls because they helped them. This peer
learning is fantastic - another great strategy you are using that
research has proven to be very beneficial to learning.’
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‘As a potential teacher I have learnt a lot from the visit, how
language schools can complement mainstream schools and give
children a real sense of pride in their heritage culture.’
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I expected it to be more rigid, but children
loved being there, there was a social aspect,
it was the community they liked.’(Tamil)
‘It was so professional. I thought it might be
amateur and disorganised because of
funding, using volunteers. The teaching was
amazing and they only get their expenses.’ (
‘I sat down next to a boy, just to make myself
comfortable and he turned to me and said “I
am the best in this class and I never want to be
lazy or unemployed”. The headteacher said
later that’s what they want to translate to their
other school. I was shocked.’
They don’t talk about what they do in the
community school. It’s separate and two girls
said they don’t tell the teacher they speak
Russian either.’ (Shona)
‘You get a real sense of the community here.
One child I spoke
to said she liked being with her friends and having people
around that understood her. There are families here and a
community base. Children feel like they are part of something
bigger.’ (Leah)
‘The children were really enthusiastic and enjoyed being there.
They felt assured, it was their school.’ (Jasmine).
‘They were dealing with health and legal issues as well and you
get a sense of pride in the place and in what they are doing.’
(Tom).
‘They wouldn’t go to break until they had reached 100 points, there
were incentives to do well but the motivation came from the
children. The teachers were relaxed and let them get on with it.’
(Becky)
‘In the quranic reading class there was recitation as children are
encouraged to memorise the Qur’an, so that’s what you’d expect. It
was really respectful and the children just carried on with it. They
knew what they were doing.’ (Naheedah)
‘They took their responsibilities as learners seriously. Amongst
themselves as 8 year olds they were discussing that it’s really good
to learn Russian for the future. It was quite odd to hear this coming
from such a young person. But they knew having another language
was important, it was important for talking to their families in
different countries and their friends and they just took the whole
learning process very seriously.’ (Nadia)
‘In the younger classes… Arabic is so complicated and they
know so much. …..they know it so well and they were
constantly comparing what they were doing with each other, “it
looks like a backwards C ” coming up with that all the time,
comparing it themselves.’(Jade)
‘I keep going back to the year 1 class where the level of
discussion surprised me. I could recognise it without knowing
the language. Witnessing that level of discussion in Russian
made me think I can, I can do that if I am able to encourage the
children to bring what they can do into the mainstream school.’
(Nasima)
‘It was all A stars in my school too. The language is about more
than the exam, it goes above and beyond the classroom, it’s
about their lives and learning their own language and speaking it
for real to people around them. It’s the whole person, rather than
just the language.’ (Joe).
‘You could tell they were proud of their culture, but the children I
spoke to said they didn’t say at their other school that they spoke
another language. They were proud of both schools , they loved
both schools but they didn’t merge the two.’ (Becky)
‘They were all really motivated and they were all helpful of each
other, so when they were doing the dance, there were a couple of
young girls who were new to the thing and two of the older girls
took them aside and they were explaining in English and in Tamil,
fluently, you know just switching between the two quite naturally
(Joe).
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‘I’m going to get children to talk openly about their
schools. I’ll ask them to bring in some writing or
something from home to start with.’
(Mary)
‘I want to get children to talk about their experiences
at complementary school, maybe bring in their own
resources. Even though it was in the past I could still
talk to them about what I saw and what I’ve learnt
from going to the Chinese Mandarin school. Because
my home language is Ibo and we don’t have Ibo
schools. I will say I would have liked that to be in
place for myself and maybe saying that would help
them to talk about it.’
‘I’d like to make use of my own language because I can speak
Cantonese and hopefully if I can communicate my own sense of pride in
my language I can encourage the children to speak theirs. I can read a
dual language book in Cantonese and find out what languages they
speak and then find books in their languages.’
‘It’s made me think about the importance of having a good relationship
with parents, finding out the detail of the languages they speak and the
importance of all those languages they bring to the classroom that I can
build on.’
‘ I want to be able to say, I’ve been to your school and I’ve met your
teachers, then you’re removing a barrier and sharing experiences. They
are more likely to listen to you because they won’t just be doing things
like Wilma and Wilf and Floppy, that are completely unrelated to them.’
‘I’d like to be able to say it’s made a difference, but seeing how difficult
it is to fit everything into the day. I wanted to do language of the month
and I couldn’t fit it in. I think time is an issue’
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All student teachers who came last Sunday
were delightful, polite and enthusiastic. …the
visit went well. I hope to see more and
continue the co-operation between us.
‘We want to the students to keep coming and
to talk to the children, to me, the staff and
parents. We use different language
methodologies. They will find out about our
language and culture and we need to have
links outside.’
Standard 5
Know when and how to differentiate appropriately, using
approaches which enable pupils to be taught effectively;
have a secure understanding of how a range of factors can
inhibit pupils’ ability to learn, and how best to overcome
these; demonstrate an awareness of the physical, social and
intellectual development of children, and know how to adapt
teaching to support pupils’ education at different stages of
development; have a clear understanding of the needs of all
pupils, including those with special educational needs; those
of high ability; those with English as an additional language
(my emphasis); those with disabilities; and be able to use
and evaluate distinctive teaching approaches to engage and
support them.
Blackledge: Starting points, in A. The racialization of language in British political
discourse. Critical Discourse Studies. 3 (1) 61-79.
Cole, M. (1996) Cultural Psychology. London:Routledge
Conteh, J. & Begum, S. (2008) Bilingual teachers as agents of social change:
Linking the community and the , mainstream, in Kenner, C. & Hickey, T. (eds)
Multilingual Europe. Diversity and Learning. Stoke on Trent: Trentham.
Conteh, J. Martin, P. & Robertson, L.H. (2007) Conteh, J.; Martin, P. &
Robertson, L.H. (eds) Multilingual learning. Stories from Schools and
Communities in Britain. Stoke on Trent: Trentham.
Creese, A. Bhatt, A, Bhojani, N. & Martin, P. (2006) Multicultural heritage and
learner identities in complementary schools. Language and Education, 20 (1)
22-43.
Creese, A. & Blackledge, A. (2006) Translanguaging in the Bilingual Classroom:
A pedagogy for learning an teaching? The Modern Language Journal 94 (1)
103-115.
Gregory, E., Long, S. & Volk, D. (2004) Syncretic literacy studies: Starting points,
in Gregory, E., Long, S. & Volk, D (eds) Many Pathways to Literacy. Young
Children learning with siblings, grandparents, peers and communities. London:
Routledge
Hancock, A . (2009) Synergy or Two Solitudes? Chinese children’s experiences
of biliteracy learning in Scotland. Paper presented at Multilingual Europe
Seminar. ‘Multiple Spaces, Multiple Languages, Multiple Literacies. University of
Issa, T. & Willimas, C. (2009) Realising Potential. Complementary Schools
in the UK. Stoke on Trent: Trentham.
Kenner, C. & Ruby, M. (2012a) Interconnecting Worlds. Teacher
Partnerships for Bilingual Children. Stoke on Trent:Trentham.
Kenner, C. & Ruby, M. (2012) Co-constructing bilingual learning: an
equal exchange of strategies between complementary and mainstream
teachers, Language and Education . 26 (6) 517-535.
Martin, P. Bhatt, A, Bhojani, N, Creese, A. (2007) in Conteh, J. Martin, P, &
Robertson, L.H. (eds) Multilingual learning. Stories from schools and
communities in Britain. Stoke on Trent: Trentham.
Robertson, L. (2010) Developing Links between complementary schools
and initial teacher training, in Lytra, V. & Martin, P. (eds) Sites of
Multiligualism. Stories from schools and communities. Stoke on Trent:
Trentham.