Understanding Multilingual Children's Language Development (FutureLearn)

However, training in supporting multilingual children is not a qualification requirement for teachers, and many teachers, speech and language therapists (SLTs), and parents feel unprepared to meet the needs of these pupils.

Be empowered by the evidence from the University of Reading

A multidisciplinary team of experts will guide you through the research on multilingual language development which argues for more emphasis on using heritage languages both at school and at home.

To understand the value of creating rich and diverse multilingual environments for learning, you’ll develop your knowledge of how young children learn to understand and produce spoken language.

Become equipped to support multilingual children through peer learning

The course provides a platform for inter-professional dialogue between teachers and SLTs to help transform working practice so that multilingual children can reach their full potential.

Delving into a case study of a UK primary school, you’ll see how languages are valued and cherished in practice as you hear from a teacher and SLT who share their experiences in overcoming challenges.

Put your knowledge of multilingualism into practice

Throughout the course, you’ll develop a profile of a fictional child, and use it to plan an advocacy or support strategy that you can take back to your classroom or clinic.

Finally, you’ll be encouraged to reflect on three actions you can take as the first steps towards putting this learning into practice in your own professional setting.

Syllabus

Week 1: Multilingualism and Identity

Week 2: Language development and multilingualism

Week 3: Putting it into practice

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

- Describe the wide range of multilingual contexts children grow up in and how these contexts may affect their language and communication development.

- Explore the nature and trajectory of typical multilingual language and literacy development, including how young children learn to understand and produce spoken language.

- Evaluate the importance of input (the languages children hear or read) and the benefits of parents/carers speaking their own language to their child.

- Improve working practices to better support multilingual children to reach their full potential.

- Engage with the challenges of creating diverse, rich multilingual environments in schools.

- Reflect on what it means to grow up speaking more than one language, both at home and in the classroom/clinic.

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone who supports multilingual children – teachers working in Primary, Foundation Stage, and Early Years, speech and language therapists, and parents.