Activities to foster multilingualism in the classroom

1. COMMUNITY STUDY
Laura Olivares Martínez
Melani Leno Carceller
Laia Leno Carceller

2. WHAT IS IT?
 A community study is a way for all students
bilingual and English speakers to investigate what
languages and scripts are visible in their community.
Students can do this in a number of ways.
Community Study

3. WHAT CAN WE DO?
 Collect newspapers in different languages.
 View videos that speaking in a language other than the
mother tongue.
 Use pictures of signs in other languages.
 Listen for people speaking or hearing conversations in
foreign languages.
 Investigate how different languages are used in libraries or
schools
Community Study

4. TRANSLANGUAGING HOW-TO
1. Decide how to include a community study in your curriculum
 Can you do this at the beginning of the school year as part
of your “community building” activities?
 Can you incorporate this into your literacy instruction?
 Can you incorporate this into your social studies
curriculum?
Community Study

5. TRANSLANGUAGING HOW-TO
2. Collect pictures of multilingual signs in your community.
 Have students bring in photographs of signs that show
languages other than the mother tongue. Talking with
students about this topic, asking questions of these
photographs.
 We have to note that students can look for multilingualism
in different types of signs.
Community Study

6. TRANSLANGUAGING HOW-TO
3. Collect multilingual newspapers in your community
 Have students look for newspapers written in other
languages, and bring them into class. After they must
investigate on these newspapers and their languages.
Community Study

7. TRANSLANGUAGING HOW-TO
4. Listen to languages in your community
 Challenge students to pay close attention to what they
hear, they can share their findings with the class, to do
interviews other people...
Community Study

8. TRANSLANGUAGING HOW-TO
5. Look at community institutions
 Have students investigate different institutions in the
neighborhood to see if languages other that the mother
tongue are visible. For example: the library or the school.
Community Study

9. TRANSLANGUAGING HOW-TO
6. Invite parents or community members as teachers of language
and culture
 You can invite them to come into the classroom to teach
students something about their language and/or culture.
This creates a strong home-school connection with EBLs’
families, and helps all students develop their awareness
and understanding of other languages and cultures.
Community Study

10. COMMUNITY STUDY
Community Study