Teaching & Learning > EAL resources > Bilingual and dual language resources
Bilingual and dual language resources
Resources, podcasts and articles about using dual language and bilingual resources
Over a million children in UK schools are bilingual, just like the vast majority of people around the world. They see the use of more than one language as a normal part of their daily lives. They may use different languages for different purposes. They may be literate in one language but not in another. They may already be bilingual when they start school. Others may speak one language at home to parents or grandparents but be learning English at school or in their early years setting. Some parents may be encouraging children to become literate in their heritage language through teaching them at home or through attendance at community schools. Others may be wary and worry about confusing or over-loading their children. Bilingual children and young people are diverse in terms of their backgrounds and experiences.
Teachers and others involved in EAL and bilingualism have come to recognise the importance of first language development for children learning EAL. Many children could grow up as bilinguals but in the UK, through a process known as subtractive bilingualism (Lambert 1975), become monolingual as the opportunities to use and develop their knowledge and skills in their first languages decrease. Recognising the important role of first language development in second language development has led many educators to promote the development and maintenance of first languages and to actively support bilingualism.
Many teachers use bilingual resources successfully to support the teaching and learning of EAL and bilingual pupils. This section brings together articles, case studies and vodcasts to help you to do this too.
Links
Making multilingual talking books
How ICT supports first language Mantra Lingua’s Recordable Talking Pen