Supporting first and additional language through story play Avril Brock TACTYC Conference Brighton, November 2007

This presentation is about: supporting young children’s first and additional language promoting bilingualism and multilingualism supporting both isolated language learners and large groups of additional language learners teachers’ and practitioners’ roles contextualising learning through story play informing policy and practice for English as an additional language

First and additional language young bilingual children need to feel that their first language is valued because it is a main constituent of their thought processes young bilingual children need an environment where they can practice, explore, think and talk aloud in both their first language [heritage language] and the targeted additional language promoting story telling and story play are excellent media for developing language learning

Bilingual children’s performance may be influenced by insufficient experience with English language and culture to predict likely objects and events not being able to identify with the experience in English and cannot call upon appropriate vocabulary and structure with which to express their understanding a gap between what can be understood and what can be actively produced

Did you know? How long it takes to learn an additional language? - Any definitions of being bilingual? - How to interpret BICS and CALP? - Basic interpersonal communication skills - Cognitive academic linguistic proficiency? - What is semilingualism?

Teachers and practitioners should: match the language to activities and experiences promote specific vocabulary through opportunities to use, repeat, understand and consolidate contextualise learning through play, first-hand and active experiences interest, excite and get the children actively involved in talking and doing create an atmosphere of fun where children want to participate support learning through practical resources, visual support and other children

Storying with playscapes landscape of mountains, forest, rocks, river, fields with papier maché, pebbles, shells, sand and gravel environment to promote imaginative play and storytelling the purpose is to get children to tell their own stories storying through play - developing own characters, dialogue and actions.