Learning and cultural differences
I can remember vaguely from a psychology class that memorizing and language processing is different for children learning 26 letters to words in English, versus children who had to memorize hundreds of characters in Mandarin, for example.
Do you know anything about how memory works with ESL adult students whose first languages may use characters instead of letters to form words, and any specific challenges they may face when trying to learn things in an English speaking classroom?
it is most important that children be taught new languages in their original language and then move into bilingual education
my speech pathology colleagues tell me the its beneficial to teach children both languages at the same time, the impact on brain capacity and their ability to do both is all there
I was reared learning two languages as a child. I am proficient in both. I agree that children should be taught more than one. It does not create confusion, but rather expands their ability to master them. Other countries do it, so should we!
You can help ESL students by using auditory, visual, and graphic teaching strategies.
Rebecca,
Good strategy to follow. This really helps to make the content come alive and aids in their understanding.
Gary
