Distinctive Voices – Developing Oral Language in Multilingual Classrooms

Abstract

Any account of practical ways teachers have found to welcome linguistic diversity and develop the distinctive voices of their multilingual pupils should perhaps begin with a timely reminder. Children’s success in a second language then will clearly require the kind of sensitive support which will motivate their desire to communicate and give them the ‘space’ to do so. Many teachers have found a real value in giving increased recognition to their pupils’ home languages. Gathering information by the children about the languages of their school or classroom can easily be developed into cross curricular activities. It is useful for teachers planning topic work for their class to build in a multilingual element wherever this is possible. Stories also provide an ideal starting point for work across the curriculum, and may introduce children to new and relevant language in the context of what they are studying.