Home Language

It is important that you continue to use your heritage language with your child. Not only does this have a continuing and significant role in developing identity, but home language learning is also transferable to other languages and helps children and young people make sense of the world around them.

Home languages give children better experiences of language

Children who hear broad and rich conversations in their home language will have a better experience of language than listening to an adult tentatively using English.

 Home languages are easily transferred

If your child has previous educational experience, they may have already been taught about topics covered at school. Some concepts and ideas might already be familiar to them and the skill that is needed is not being able to understand the lesson but transferring their thoughts and learning into their new language.

 Home languages makes the curriculum more accessible

If pupils are encouraged to share and discuss ideas in their home language, they are able to understand their learning better. If your child has good literacy skills in their home language, they can use this to support writing and can access books and texts at an appropriate level in their home language. 

 Home languages support cognitive and language development

Multi/bilingual children outperform monolingual peers, showing that the continuation of home languages support academic achievement.

Home languages offer a sense of identity

There is a positive on being a multi/bilingual learner on identity, worth and esteem; all of which increases chances of being a successful learner. It is important that home languages are celebrated and valued at home and in school to encourage this.

 Home language use will not delay the development of English proficiency

Studies have found that continuing to use home languages alongside new language learning, the process of learning English is easier and more rapid.

Supporting Learning at Home

There are many things you can do as an EAL parent to help your child succeed at school, both emotionally and academically. Here are a few suggestions:

·        Share stories in your home language as much as possible

·        Read aloud to your child/children in their home language daily

·        Help your child/children with homework by using both English and home language, e.g. talking about a subject with your child/children entirely in their home language and then complete homework in English

·       Speak your native language at home. Fluency in two languages has been shown to improve a person's ability to multitask, pay attention, solve problems and think creatively. Bilingualism also has been linked to boosting working memory performance.

·       Make your child feel proud to be able to understand and speak more than one language

·       Read books and stories together in your first language

·       Introduce your child to Warrington’s libraries

·       Allow your child to watch their favourite TV shows in their first language

·       Learning a new language is very tiring, your brain has to work harder to process and produce information which drains cognitive resources and energy. Ensure that your child is well rested, ready for another day of learning!

·       Make contact with other parents of EAL children and encourage contact between the children