ACTION 1.2
Bridge cross language connections and metalinguistic awareness
We used to think...
Focusing on English Language Development at school meant English only, and therefore, home languages were rarely leveraged and often discouraged in educational settings in favor of the attainment of English.
Now we know...
Bridging students’ home language with the language of instruction enhances their ability to develop literacy skills in multiple languages.
Best Practice Strategies
To cultivate a supportive multi-language learning environment:
Teachers
Develop an understanding of cross-linguistic connections for all aspects of reading and writing across languages (phonological, phonemic, morphological, syntactic, semantic, etc) and bridge content to support language and literacy development in both languages (in Dual Language settings)
Build metalinguistic awareness.
Resources
Translanguaging to Support Students’ Bilingual and Multilingual Development
Institute of Educational Sciences/Regional Educational Laboratory Program
This article provides educators with an overview of translanguaging including the what, why and how.
The Two Purposes of the Bridge
Teaching for Biliteracy
Provides one structure in developing metalinguistic awareness for teaching students to transfer their knowledge and contrastive analysis between languages
Implementing The Bridge
Claudia Conroy, Design Group
Models the strategic development of metalinguistic awareness and skills for MLLs as they learn bilingual content in school.
Literacy Squared: Cross Language Connections
Literacy Squared
This Webinar discusses the importance of cross-language connections to explicitly teach the similarities and differences between Spanish and English.
Boosting Metalinguistic Awareness
Confianza LLC
Article outlining metalinguistic awareness and why it is important for multilingual students
Using Cognates to Develop Comprehension in English
Colorin Colorado/WETA Public Broadcasting
This article explains how cognates support comprehension, includes a list of cognates and ideas for using them in the classroom.
Cognates/Cognados
Claudia Conroy, Design Group
This sample lesson from a teacher reinforces the power in learning about cognates for students who are learning either or both English & Spanish.
Teaching Metalinguistic Awareness and Reading Comprehension with Riddles
Reading Rockets/Marcy Zipke/WETA Public Broadcasting
A guide on how riddles can be used in the classroom to stimulate student’s metalinguistic awareness.