The European Commission document ‘Language teaching and learning in multilingual classrooms’ contains useful information about a range of issues faced by migrant children and focuses on methods to effectively allow children who speak a different home language to develop multilingual skills and participate effectively at school.
The European Commission has a webpage about the importance of early language learning, what has been done in the area so far and areas for future concern.
The European Commission - 'Languages: Supporting language learning and linguistic diversity' webpage includes information about multilingual classrooms, how they work, why they are important and how the European Commission is working to develop support and research in this area.
RUMACCC has developed three brochures which highlight the benefits of multilingualism and LOTEs (Languages other than English) for everyone and address common prejudices against multilingualism and second language learning. The brochure 'More languages, more benefits' outlines the benefits of learning a third language, arguing that third language acquisition aids and is aided by second language acquisition.
RUMACCC has developed three brochures which highlight the benefits of multilingualism and LOTEs (Languages other than English) for everyone and address common prejudices against multilingualism and second language learning. The brochure 'Catering for linguistic diversity in Language Programs' describes some of the various backgrounds that students are likely to have in a language, specific challenges this raises and some suggestions for catering for diversity.
RUMACCC has developed three brochures which highlight the benefits of multilingualism and LOTEs (Languages other than English) for everyone and address common prejudices against multilingualism and second language learning. The brochure 'Some common fallacies about Multilingualism and Second Language Acquisition' rebuts some common fallacies including the "crowded curriculum"; community languages as undermining literacy in English, and "unfair competition" coming from students with a background in community language.
RUMACCC was founded in 2001 by the internationally renowned linguist, Professor Michael Clyne (1939-2010), when he was professorial fellow in linguistics at The University of Melbourne.
The unit conducts research in Australian and international contexts in fields such as:
The story of a myth: the one person, one language strategy in bilingual families - Many people think that early bilingualism can only succeed if everybody speaks just a single language to children, rather than that one and the same person addresses children in two languages. Dr. De Houwer's research has shown that this one person, one language (1P/1L) strategy does not work any better than the bilingual family language use strategy whereby both parents address children in two languages.