Page 52 - PSPS: A Training guide

Think of different ways in which you can make various signs at entry points to
school and classroom understandable for both children and parents facing
language barriers.
If signs at the entry points for the school, offices, and classrooms are labelled only in
the official language of tuition, the parent or child from a different background may be
confronted with an intimidating situation. You can have children and parents help you
translate welcoming messages into all languages spoken by families in the school
community, make drawings and arrows and post all of the languages so everyone feels
welcome.

Classroom norms and rules can be illustrated through pictures and
drawings as well as in all written languages of the children enrolled
in the class. When done in advance, this presents a welcoming
environment and a place where the child feels they belong.

Unit 4 Language: Main Takeaways

The school language may be different from the language children use at
home even when it is the same language linguistically, and children may fear
exclusion, being laughed at or not welcomed because of it, even though they
can understand and communicate in the official language.

Children who face a language barrier encounter other difficulties as well, and
their needs go beyond acquisition of the language in terms of grammar and
vocabulary. It is important to make plans to support children to have those
needs met too.

Parents and family members may put too much pressure on the child to learn
the official language as quickly as possible, or to translate the parents’
communication with school and other stakeholders. The teacher’s approach
needs to take this into account and assist both the child and their parents to
adjust their expectations of that child.
When facing a language barrier with a child and/or parents, the role of various
stakeholders is essential. Including role models from the same community is a
huge boost for both children and their parents.

Both the child and their family need to feel welcome, accepted and respected
in school in order to make the transition meaningful and successful. Creating
a sense of belonging among children and also among parents is a win-win
situation for everyone.

Self-assessing one’s own bias, prejudice or stereotypes, becoming conscious
of them and acting upon them is important for both teachers and parents in
order to establish trusting communication and effective partnership. The
child is the ultimate beneficiary of this partnership.