3. The Multilingual Education believes that
‘Quality Education begins with the Mother
Tongue. A strong foundation in the mother
tongue ensures effective education and
high levels of proficiency in many
languages.
The MLE is the approach which emphasizes
‘first language first’ in the child, taking the
socio-cultural curriculum into classroom
culture, and then bridge on to the content
of the second language.
4. The Rosetta Project
(aptly named after the Rosetta Stone),
the Endangered Languages Catalogue (ELCat):
A project was undertaken by the University
of Hawai'i at Manoa and Eastern Michigan
University, that aims to compile a
comprehensive up-to-date catalogue on all
languages considered to be in danger.
The project reports that language death
progresses at the rate of about one language
in three months. (1:3)
5. The Rosetta Stone is one of the most important objects in
the British Museum as it holds the key to understanding
Egyptian hieroglyphy- a script made up of small pictures that
was used originally in ancient Egypt for religious texts.
Hieroglyphic writing died out in Egypt in the fourth century
C.E.
6. According to Article 350 A of our Constitution, 'It shall be the
endeavour of every State and of every local authority within the
State to provide adequate facilities for instruction in the mother-
tongue at the primary stage of education to children belonging to
linguistic minority groups'.
The National Curriculum Framework-2005, in its point 3.1.1
states 'Home language(s) of children as defined above in 3.1
should be the medium of learning in schools.'
The National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986, recommended 'the
adoption at the primary stage of a child-centred and activity
based process of learning' which brought the home languages
under the purview of primary schooling.
The Yashpal Committee report - 1992 that speaks of ‘Learning
without burden’ is in effect, a clarion call for Multilingual
Education.
The Position Paper National Focus Group on Teaching of Indian
Languages, National Curriculum Framework 2005, once again
calls for multilingualism as a tool to promote social harmony
'through mutual respect for each other's language and culture'.
7. There is a 'positive relationship between
multilingualism, cognitive growth, and
educational achievement, there is every
need to promote multilingual education in
schools.
Cognitive
Growth
Educational
Achievement
8. "Strong Foundation" -
Research shows that children whose early education is in
the language of their home tend to do better in the later
years of their education.
"Strong Bridge" -
An essential difference between MLE programmes and
rural "mother tongue education" programmes is the
inclusion of a guided transition from learning through the
mother tongue to learning through another tongue.
L1 L2
L1
L2
9. A widespread understanding of MLE
programme (UNESCO, 2003, 2005) suggests
that instruction takes place in the following
stages:
1.
• learning takes place entirely in the child's home
language.
2.
• building fluency in the mother tongue.
Introduction of oral L2.
3.
• building oral fluency in L2.
• Introduction of literacy in L2.
4.
• using both L1 and L2 for life-long learning.
10. What are the effects of implication
of Multilingual Education in
Classroom environment?