Benefiting all members of the school community
PerLinguas brings translanguaging practices into the classroom quickly and easily, impacting all members of the school community.
DEEP DIVE: how can translanguaging practices benefit all members of your school?
PerLinguas simplifies translanguaging practices, seamlessly integrating them into a plurilingual approach that can transform your school. Here’s how this approach impacts all members of the school community and what it might look like:
Students
Enhanced Comprehension and Learning
- Allows students to use their full linguistic repertoire to understand complex concepts.
- Promotes deeper cognitive engagement and critical thinking.
Improved Academic Performance
- Leverages students’ home languages to access curriculum, leading to better academic outcomes.
- Reduces language barriers, making learning more accessible and inclusive.
Positive Identity Formation
- Validates students’ cultural and linguistic identities, boosting self-esteem and confidence.
- Fosters a sense of belonging and inclusion in the classroom environment.
Development of Multilingual Skills
- Encourages the use and development of multiple languages, enhancing linguistic flexibility and competence.
This might look like….
Students, together in a classroom, completing a Language Profile document that communicates their language identity as they perceive it. You might see documentation displayed on the walls with questions and reflections displayed in their languages. You might see students reading and writing in their languages. Additionally, you may hear students engaging in discussions on concepts and ideas – moving between languages. This is all working together to support students constructing understanding and communicating thinking and learning.
Teachers
Culturally Responsive Teaching
- Provides a framework for integrating students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds into the curriculum.
- Helps teachers connect with students on a deeper level, building stronger relationships.
Enhanced Pedagogical Strategies
- Expands teachers’ instructional tools by incorporating diverse language practices.
- Encourages innovative approaches to teaching and learning, fostering creativity.
Professional Growth
- Increases teachers’ cultural competence and awareness of linguistic diversity.
- Provides opportunities for ongoing professional development in multilingual education.
This might look like….
Teachers huddled together in conversation where you will hear about the “spaces” and “moments” that happen ‘in response’ to student questions and discussions. In curriculum planning you will see the opportunities created ‘by design’ to engage with students’ languages to build meaning and expand their multilingual vocabulary. Professional development reflections and plans for implementation will consider, “how can translanguaging and other plurilingual pedagogies be integrated with this new learning?”
Leadership
Inclusive School Culture
- Fosters an environment that values diversity and inclusivity, aligning with equity-focused goals.
- Promotes a positive school climate by embracing plurilingualism and pluriculturalism.
Improved School-Community Relationships
- Strengthens partnerships between the school and the broader community by honoring linguistic diversity.
- Enhances the school’s reputation as a culturally responsive and forward-thinking institution.
Alignment with Educational Policies
- Supports compliance with policies and standards that promote multilingual education and diversity.
- Positions the school as a leader in innovative, inclusive educational practices.
This might look like….
In leadership meetings you will hear dignity, value, and respect given to plurilingualism. You will see plurilingualism integrated into the mission, vision, and values statements that guide the school and the policy documents that inform practice. You will see the celebration and promotion of diverse linguistic identities by persons in leadership in conversations with students, staff, parents, and the wider community.
Families
Stronger Home-School Connections
- Encourages communication in students’ home languages, making families feel more included in the educational process.
- Increases family engagement by valuing their linguistic and cultural contributions.
Empowerment and Inclusion
- Recognises and respects the linguistic resources families bring to the school community.
- Enhances parents’ and caregivers’ ability to support their children’s education at home.
This might look like….
You will see parents and other important adults in their lives coming into the school to guide reflective conversations with students during a Home Languages Hour. You will see students returning to school with multilingual home learning opportunities, capturing interactions with parents and the child’s wider community.
It is our goal at PerLinguas to continue developing more tools and materials for schools… will you join us?
Contact Us
Book time with us. We would love to learn more about your school’s needs and discuss how best we can partner with you.