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Pedagogy
and Research
SAVE OUR TEACHER MADE RESOURCES
Video: Jim Cummins - What is BICS & CALP?
Jim Cummins: A world leader in the field of second language acquisition, on BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) and CALP (Content Academic Language Proficiency)--a very important important distinction in determining language proficiency.
Scaffolding Language - Scaffolding Learning - 2nd Edition (Pauline Gibbons)
The bestselling Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning helped tens of thousands of mainstream elementary teachers ensure that their English language learners became full members of the school community with the language and content skills they needed for success. In the highly anticipated Second Edition, Pauline Gibbons updates her classic text with a multitude of practical ideas for the classroom, supported by the latest research in the field of ELL/ESL.
With clear directions and classroom tested strategies for supporting students' academic progress, Gibbons shows how the teaching of language can be integrated seamlessly with the teaching of content, and how academic achievement can be boosted without sacrificing our own vision of education to the dictates of knee-jerk accountability. Rich examples of classroom discourse illustrate exactly how the scaffolding process works, while activities to facilitate conversation and higher-level thinking put the latest research on second language learning into action.
With clear directions and classroom tested strategies for supporting students' academic progress, Gibbons shows how the teaching of language can be integrated seamlessly with the teaching of content, and how academic achievement can be boosted without sacrificing our own vision of education to the dictates of knee-jerk accountability. Rich examples of classroom discourse illustrate exactly how the scaffolding process works, while activities to facilitate conversation and higher-level thinking put the latest research on second language learning into action.
Engaging with Linguistic Diversity : A Study of Educational Inclusion in an Irish Primary School (Paperback) David Little and Deirdre Kirwan
Paperback available through Bloomsbury Academy to pre-order. December 2020.
35% off with the linked flyer!
Paperback | 216 pp | December 2020 | 9781350192492 | £18.84
Engaging with Linguistic Diversity describes an innovative and highly successful approach to inclusive plurilingual education at primary level. The approach was developed by Scoil Bhride (Cailini), Blanchardstown, as a way of converting extreme linguistic diversity - more than 50 home languages in a school of 320 pupils - into educational capital. The central feature of the approach is the inclusion of home languages in classroom communication.
After describing the national context, the book traces the development of Scoil Bhride's approach and explores in detail its impact on classroom discourse, pupils' plurilingual literacy development, and their capacity for autonomous learning. The authors illustrate their arguments with a wealth of practical evidence drawn from a variety of sources; pupils' and teachers' voices are especially prominent. The concluding chapter considers issues of sustainability and replication and the implications of the approach for teacher education.
The book refers to a wide range of relevant research findings and theories, including translanguaging, plurilingual and intercultural education, language awareness and language learner autonomy. It is essential reading for researchers and policy-makers in the field of linguistically inclusive education.
35% off with the linked flyer!
Paperback | 216 pp | December 2020 | 9781350192492 | £18.84
Engaging with Linguistic Diversity describes an innovative and highly successful approach to inclusive plurilingual education at primary level. The approach was developed by Scoil Bhride (Cailini), Blanchardstown, as a way of converting extreme linguistic diversity - more than 50 home languages in a school of 320 pupils - into educational capital. The central feature of the approach is the inclusion of home languages in classroom communication.
After describing the national context, the book traces the development of Scoil Bhride's approach and explores in detail its impact on classroom discourse, pupils' plurilingual literacy development, and their capacity for autonomous learning. The authors illustrate their arguments with a wealth of practical evidence drawn from a variety of sources; pupils' and teachers' voices are especially prominent. The concluding chapter considers issues of sustainability and replication and the implications of the approach for teacher education.
The book refers to a wide range of relevant research findings and theories, including translanguaging, plurilingual and intercultural education, language awareness and language learner autonomy. It is essential reading for researchers and policy-makers in the field of linguistically inclusive education.
Researcher Publications - Dr. Déirdre Kirwan
Publications list for Dr. Déirdre Kirwan
EAL Put it in Writing (INTO In Touch Jan/Feb 2010)
Articles focussing on develop-
ing listening and speaking
skills, and supporting reading
acquisition for children with
EAL were featured in the
November and December issues of InTouch.
This final article of the series concentrates
on developing writing skills using visual
stimuli. The suggested activities are differ-
entiated, where appropriate, to cater for
varying levels of language proficiency.
ing listening and speaking
skills, and supporting reading
acquisition for children with
EAL were featured in the
November and December issues of InTouch.
This final article of the series concentrates
on developing writing skills using visual
stimuli. The suggested activities are differ-
entiated, where appropriate, to cater for
varying levels of language proficiency.
Integrating Students from Migrant Backgrounds into Schools in Europe: National Policies and Measures - Eurydice Report - January 2019
Why is the integration of students from migrant backgrounds into schools an
important topic?
A student who is well-integrated into the education system both academically and socially has more
chance of reaching their potential. Students from migrant backgrounds, however, face a number of
challenges in this respect that can affect their learning and development. According to the academic
research literature, three types of challenges can be distinguished:
1. those related to the migration process (e.g. leaving the home country, having to acquire a new
language, adapting to new rules and routines in schools, etc., and the impact of these
acculturation stressors on migrant students' overall well-being) (Hamilton, 2013);
2. those related to the general socio-economic and political context (e.g. policies affecting the
availability of resources to education systems and schools for promoting integration as well as
policies promoting inclusion and equality more generally) (Sinkkonen & Kyttälä, 2014); and
3. those related to student participation in education, including the limited scope of initial
assessment, which does not always take account of both academic and non-academic
aspects (i.e. social, emotional and health issues); inappropriate grade placement; language
provision that is not adapted to the needs of students with a different mother tongue;
insufficient learning support and a lack of social and emotional support; teachers who are not
trained and/or supported to deal with diversity in the classroom; insufficient home-school
cooperation; and a lack of or inflexibility in funding to provide adequate provision and support
– to name but some
important topic?
A student who is well-integrated into the education system both academically and socially has more
chance of reaching their potential. Students from migrant backgrounds, however, face a number of
challenges in this respect that can affect their learning and development. According to the academic
research literature, three types of challenges can be distinguished:
1. those related to the migration process (e.g. leaving the home country, having to acquire a new
language, adapting to new rules and routines in schools, etc., and the impact of these
acculturation stressors on migrant students' overall well-being) (Hamilton, 2013);
2. those related to the general socio-economic and political context (e.g. policies affecting the
availability of resources to education systems and schools for promoting integration as well as
policies promoting inclusion and equality more generally) (Sinkkonen & Kyttälä, 2014); and
3. those related to student participation in education, including the limited scope of initial
assessment, which does not always take account of both academic and non-academic
aspects (i.e. social, emotional and health issues); inappropriate grade placement; language
provision that is not adapted to the needs of students with a different mother tongue;
insufficient learning support and a lack of social and emotional support; teachers who are not
trained and/or supported to deal with diversity in the classroom; insufficient home-school
cooperation; and a lack of or inflexibility in funding to provide adequate provision and support
– to name but some
Innovations in English language teaching for migrants and refugees
This book is about the teaching of English to migrants and refugees. It is written from
the perspective of those who work with and teach this diverse group of adults and
children. Migrants and refugees come from very different geographical areas and
have left their home countries for very different reasons. They may have come to
the UK to join a spouse, to seek job opportunities or to flee violence and persecution.
They will have had very different experiences of education: some will have had
no formal schooling and others will have studied to a high level and hold relevant
academic and professional qualifications. Some will join settled communities, while
others will be living in isolation. Immigration in the United Kingdom is a central policy
area, whereas education is devolved to the four nations (England, Scotland, Wales
and Northern Ireland). As the majority of the chapters in this book are written about
English contexts, English education policy is the focus of this introduction.
the perspective of those who work with and teach this diverse group of adults and
children. Migrants and refugees come from very different geographical areas and
have left their home countries for very different reasons. They may have come to
the UK to join a spouse, to seek job opportunities or to flee violence and persecution.
They will have had very different experiences of education: some will have had
no formal schooling and others will have studied to a high level and hold relevant
academic and professional qualifications. Some will join settled communities, while
others will be living in isolation. Immigration in the United Kingdom is a central policy
area, whereas education is devolved to the four nations (England, Scotland, Wales
and Northern Ireland). As the majority of the chapters in this book are written about
English contexts, English education policy is the focus of this introduction.
Research Article by Cassie Smith-Christmas: ‘Our cat has the power’: the polysemy of a third language in maintaining the power/solidarity equilibrium in family interactions
ABSTRACT
This article examines how power and solidarity in family relations are negotiated along linguistic lines, and in particular, the role of a third language in this negotiation process. It takes as its case study a transnational family in Ireland who practise a strongly pro-Polish FLP and where the parents are seen as authorities in Polish and their daughters are seen as authorities in English, the dominant societal language. The paper takes a microinteractional approach to analysing excerpts where family members engage in language-learning activities using Irish, the national autochthonous minority language. The paper demonstrates how in many ways, Irish operates as a neutral, third space for family members to negotiate power/solidarity alignments, and thus contributes to the family’s maintenance of the power/solidarity equilibrium. The paper also demonstrates the polysemy inherent in how these negotiations play out at an interactional level, especially vis-à-vis the family’s pro-Polish FLP, as well as the polysemy of Irish-as-a-language within the scope of the family’s interactions as a whole.
This article examines how power and solidarity in family relations are negotiated along linguistic lines, and in particular, the role of a third language in this negotiation process. It takes as its case study a transnational family in Ireland who practise a strongly pro-Polish FLP and where the parents are seen as authorities in Polish and their daughters are seen as authorities in English, the dominant societal language. The paper takes a microinteractional approach to analysing excerpts where family members engage in language-learning activities using Irish, the national autochthonous minority language. The paper demonstrates how in many ways, Irish operates as a neutral, third space for family members to negotiate power/solidarity alignments, and thus contributes to the family’s maintenance of the power/solidarity equilibrium. The paper also demonstrates the polysemy inherent in how these negotiations play out at an interactional level, especially vis-à-vis the family’s pro-Polish FLP, as well as the polysemy of Irish-as-a-language within the scope of the family’s interactions as a whole.
On the way!
On the way!
On the way!
On the way!