Family language maps: bridging the gap between home and classroom
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Family language maps: bridging the gap between home and classroom IATEFL: Liverpool 2013 Sheila Macdonald Doctorate in Education Programme, University of Sheffield ESOL Skills for Life Lecturer, Kent
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Family language maps: bridging the gap between home and classroom. IATEFL: Liverpool 2013. Sheila Macdonald Doctorate in Education Programme, University of Sheffield ESOL Skills for Life Lecturer, Kent. Aims of the workshop. Set the scene - research context Explore language maps - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Family language maps: bridging the gap between home and classroom
Family language maps: bridging the gap between home and classroom
IATEFL: Liverpool 2013
Sheila MacdonaldDoctorate in Education Programme, University of Sheffield
ESOL Skills for Life Lecturer, Kent
Aims of the workshop
Set the scene - research context
Explore language maps
Discuss potential for classroom and research
Summary: a creatively critical tool
Research context
12 years “Skills for Life”1 million students
2/3 womenmajority are mothers
Participants: ESOL students
women with young children185 survey responses (38 languages)47 questionnaires (EU: non EU/ 50:50)20 interviewees18 language maps (31 children)
Research Questions
What do women say about their experiences of learning English and its place in their lives?
What is the socio-economic context in which this learning is taking place and how do these discourses impact on women students?
Are women’s narratives congruent with the political and policy context within which ESOL is provided?
Tina’s language map
Tina
My Mama
My in-laws
Piotr(husband)
Diana(5m - daughter)
Marcin(2 y - son)
E: EnglishP: PolishR: RussianU: Ukrainian
My FatherP: 100%
E: 1%
P:95%R: 4%
R: 1%
Trying Polish or use Ukrainian
P: 30%
R: 70%
U: 20%
R: 80%R: 100%
R: 100%
U: 50%-50% R
R: 100%
U: 70%
R: 30%P:
100
%
Group Task 1
What does this map tell you about Tina and her family?
Group task 2
How could language maps be used with individuals, or with groups, in the ESL classroom?
What might be the difficulties or disadvantages?
How could they support tutors to set appropriate learning goals with people in different educational settings?
Winnie’s language map
Winnie
Diana8
John10
DonEx-husband
80% Chinese20% English
80% Chinese
20% English
90% English10% Chinese
100% EnglishCantonese
100% English
NB: Children's father: Chinese background but came to UK age 1.Paternal grandparents live in London. Little contact.
Winnie said:
“I hope my children speak Chinese but they don’t/ when they go nursery they already speak English because my child 2 and a half don’t speak anything and then the health visitor let me take the children go to the nursery and then start learning from nursery, start speaking English, I want they come back and start speaking in my language but they don’t.”
Later Winnie said:
“ Now I got a hole in the middle now/ sometimes I talk Chinese a little bit they can’t understand but I talk English, try to talk English, they say ‘Mummy I can’t understand what you talking about’ so that’s the hole inside.”
The government says:
“…frankly incomprehensible situation … where, according to the 2011 census, no one speaks English as their main language in five per cent of households.”
The Communities Secretary 15/01/13
A creatively critical response
Quantitative and qualitative research into multilingual households
Class mapping to make multilingualism visible and build beginners’ confidence
Use as basis for learner debate as part of citizenship courses
Support for women-only spaces where mothers can share experiences
Contact details
For further discussion, please contact:
Sheila [email protected]
+44 (0) 7971 682085
Thanks
