Dr Thandeka Mdlalo, a speech-language therapist and audiologist, shares issues and solutions facing second language learners.
Learning a first language usually happens in the natural, familiar context of the home supported by family. However, learning a second language is often more complex as it happens in an educational surrounding where the demands on a young child go hand-in-hand with educational demands like numbers, alphabet and shapes.
Cultural differences may add to the difficulty experienced by a second language learner – or emergent bilingual – which may result in misunderstanding or confusion. The cultural shock experienced by these learners can be compared to the analogy of having a new programme loaded onto your computer at work, and being expected to understand how it works without first being trained.
The demands of the curriculum do not accommodate the difficulties facing the emergent bilingual who are expected to work at the same pace as their peers studying in their first language. If the emergent bilingual does not meet the expected language standards at school, there is often pressure on the parents to stop using the mother tongue at home in order to accelerate the development of the second language.
However, it is a myth that this measure will be beneficial. Instead, it can be detrimental to the emergent bilingual as they lose their mother tongue and often struggle to communicate with their extended family. As language and culture are linked, emergent bilinguals who lose their mother tongue become “cultural outcasts”.
At this point, and out of desperation, an educator may refer the child to a speech-language therapist even though the child is not presenting with a speech or language disorder, but rather difficulties due to learning a second language.
Enter the Diversity Centre – which aims to provide solutions to problems linked to diversity, including language and cultural diversity. Its focus is to support, educate and empower parents, educators and therapists on the challenges linked with diversity.
The focus of the centre is on short-term support of children who are struggling to meet the scholastic demands due to differences, especially language differences. There are strategies educators can use to help support children who are learning a second language. However, it is important that the educator understands the process of second language learning. It also helps when the learner is given multiple opportunities to speak the language in a non-threatening environment – play dates or staying for aftercare allows time to talk in the second language to peers who are not making academic demands on the child and who are on the same level so there is no fear of authority.
The use of multiple modalities (gesture and voice tone) is used to explain a concept or word that may be challenging – for example, there was a colossal aircraft – where colossal is emphasised by using technology aids to understand. Redundancy is also an invaluable tool when introducing new or potentially challenging vocabulary. For example, there was a colossal, yes really big aircraft.
Last but not least, it is crucial to remember that the emergent bilingual may appear slower to learn, but this is not due to their level of intelligence, but rather language challenges. *
FOR MORE INFO:
The Diversity Centre is a free interactive website with a monthly blog, podcasts, videos, links to articles and resources. A Diversity Centre has also been established at Our Lady of Fatima Diocesan School for Girls, which is open to all children.