Transliteration as a bridge to learning for bilingual children

Al-Azami, Salman and Kenner, Charmian and Ruby, Mahera and Gregory, Eve (2010) Transliteration as a bridge to learning for bilingual children. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 13 (6). pp. 683-700. ISSN 1367-0050

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Abstract

This paper examines how transliteration can be used as a bridge to learning for children who are studying more than one script. The focus is on second and third generation British Bangladeshi children aged 7–11, attending London primary schools and learning to write in Bengali at community-run after-school classes. An action research project explored how Bengali could be used as well as English to enhance learning at mainstream schools. Transliteration of Bengali into Roman script was found to aid this process in the following ways: as a communicative bridge between children, parents and teachers; as a conceptual bridge, promoting reflection on meanings and metalinguistic awareness; as a bridge to the Bengali script itself, mediating between oral and written representation; and as a bridge to new learner identities, enabling expression of ideas and building children's confidence as bilingual writers.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	bilingual education, biliteracy, metalinguistic knowledge, cultural identity, Bengali, Britain
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > P Philology. Linguistics P Language and Literature > PE English
Faculty / Department:	Faculty of Creative Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities
Depositing User:	Susan Murray
Date Deposited:	06 Mar 2014 09:52
Last Modified:	13 Nov 2024 12:27
URI:	https://hira.hope.ac.uk/id/eprint/172

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