LC Language Adventures 2024 (A5) - Flipbook - Page 11
Language Adventures: Embracing Languages and Cultures in Primary School
References
• Beacco, J-C., Byram, M., Cavalli, M., Coste, D., Egli Cuenat, M., Goullier, F., Panthier,
J. (2016) 'Guide for the development and implementation of curricula for
plurilingual and intercultural education', Council of Europe.
2.3 Ideas for practical application
Picture stories
Use a simple picture story book in a different language. Picture story books are
available on several websites such as Storybird - Read, write, discover, and share
the books you'll always remember. Separate the text from the pictures and ask
pupils to match them again. Pupils might look for cognates, words that are
similar in other languages that they know, they could recognise the type of text
and therefore have some expectations of what it might be about and its overall
structure; they could skim the text to spot familiar words; they might look at the
pattern of the sentences and use their common sense or knowledge of the
world to make sensible guesses (Noun+verb), say the text out loud, break words
up into smaller elements.
Books in dual/multiple languages
Choose a (print) book that is available in multiple languages (e.g., The Gruffalo,
Guess How Much I Love You). Present the book initially in the main target
language (you may use a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_EMiZNguo , https://youtu.be/7tDBxFKZnZ8 ). Show versions of the same book in other
languages (also available online). Look at the same key words in the different
languages (e.g., jaws, claws, teeth, knees). Ask children to pronounce the words
in their home languages or look for the words together on a digital dictionary
(with an option to read words using the Latin alphabet as well). Exploring the
origins of certain words and how words are formed can make for fascinating
lessons. In the case of languages using different alphabets, for example, a
discussion around the association of meanings with characters/symbols/letters,
and how these combine to create different words, can open a window into how
concepts sit in one’s mind and how this can shape thinking. In Japanese, the
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