PPLI Primary Guidelines - Flipbook - Page 3
Language and Languages in the Primary School Some guidelines for teachers by David Little and Déirdre Kirwan
ppli.ie
Executive summary
This document is a response to goal 2.E.2 of the Languages Connect implementation plan: “Guidelines will be
developed for teaching children whose home language is a language other than Irish or English”. The document also
addresses the integrated approach to the teaching of Irish and English recommended in the new Primary Language
Curriculum and the intercultural dimension of language education at primary level (goal 2.E.3).
Part I is concerned with issues of general principle:
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The “plurilingual approach” to language education and its pedagogical implications
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Language development in the pre-school years
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The linguistic demands made by primary schooling
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An integrated approach to teaching Irish and English that includes immigrant languages in classroom
communication
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The intercultural dimension of primary education
Part II illustrates some of the features of a fully integrated approach to language education inspired by Part I:
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The general pedagogical approach
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The supports that the school should provide: a language policy; a well-stocked library; affirmation of pupils’
efforts; documentation of language learning and use; language support classes
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Some activities that work
- Using familiar routines and themes to support language learning in junior classes: greetings; counting and
addition; colours; days of the week; food; music; events in the environment; games; telling the time
- Including Irish and home languages in the delivery of curriculum content: Irish; home languages; a
plurilingual approach to classroom discussion; language awareness
- Producing parallel texts in two or more languages: first steps; producing longer texts; using poetry to support
plurilingual literacy; a class diary; texts in three languages; preparing to write in two or three languages;
functional writing; creative writing; identity texts; mixing languages in one text
- Consolidating plurilingual learning: inter-class interaction; senior pupils read stories to juniors; autonomous
language learning; encouraging pupils to improve their home language proficiency
Delivering
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