Sheffield Children's Centre is in the heart of Britain's fourth largest city, but staff are more likely to think of it as being at the centre of the global community.,We have 125 children under five here who speak 21 different languages' says Chrissie Meleady, the centre's chairperson. 'We don't think that speaking more than one language is some kind of special need. It increases opportunities. In fact, we promote multi-lingualism for all our children, including children who are monolingual English speakers.'
The centre has a radical approach to language. Each class operates in three different languages. All classes use English and Spanish. The third language will be one that is spoken by many of the children, Arabic or Urdu, for example. Staff and children are expected to communicate in all three during the course of the day. In addition, British Sign Language and Makaton are used, so that children who are hearing-impaired or who have other special needs are included.
'We don't have a process of structured language teaching, although we do organise language workshops,' Chrissie explains. 'The children learn by using language for a real purpose, for communication in all its forms. We have people in to talk to the children, and we go out to experience languages in use at the mosque or the Chinese Centre, for example. We learn about different cultures and traditions, play games and have fun.'
International communication supports the Sheffield Centre's work as well.,We run up horrendous phone bills on international calls,' says Chrissie.,The children exchange tapes of songs with children in other countries like Jordan or Pakistan. And we offer placements to people from around the world to work here, at the moment we have staff from Spain, Pakistan, Zambia and Jordan.'
The centre was founded 18 years ago with a commitment to engaging with the many languages, cultures and ethnic groups in the neighbourhood. Some 85 per cent of the staff are black or from other ethnic minority communities. The centre's policy is to employ equal numbers of men and women. As well as providing integrated education and care for children within the centre, staff assist at conferences, organise workshops for teachers, translate documents, and help families find accommodation and liaise with schools.
Chrissie mentions a recent recruit to the staff who attended the centre as a young child.,He comes from a family where only English was spoken,' she says. 'Now he can speak English, Arabic, Urdu and Gaelic Irish, and he uses them all the time here.'
Julian Grenier is deputy head of Woodlands Park Nursery, part of the London Borough of Haringey's Early Excellence Network.
Most children worldwide use more than one language. Children will only be discouraged from learning English if they are pushed into abandoning their home language when they come into an early years setting. To show you value all children and their languages:
l Plan for languages other than English to be used. Bilingual staff may be available to organise activities using children's home languages. Parents and carers may be prepared to help, too. Do you have,bring and show' times or special times when you listen to music or watch videos? You could encourage children to bring in tapes and films which are in languages other than English.
2 Find out the key words in the child's home language. You could start with words such as hello, toilet, drink, tired, food, and goodbye. Write the words out as they sound in English and share them with other staff, so you can all use them.
3 Give status to languages other than English. It is important to label the door and the toilet. Real status comes from seeing different languages in the maths area, the home corner, and on displays about projects.
Using English
Children should not be withdrawn from mainstream experiences and activities to learn English, but should have access to a high quality and broad-based curriculum. When planning for children to acquire English as an additional language, settings can:
1 Give children,reference points' to make sense of English. Books with repeating language, such as Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell, Where's Spot by Eric Hill or Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See by Eric Carle are comforting and easy to join in.
2 Plan experiences which are interesting and motivating. Structure these by supplying key English words or phrases.
3 Allow children to go through the 'silent phase', which may last up to a few months. During this time, they are listening to and absorbing English. You can provide support by using clear, simple English phrases and referring to pictures or objects as you speak.
Reference: The Development of Language and Literacy by Marian Whitehead (Hodder & Stoughton, 11.99)
