Let a computer translate your nursery's languages, says Karen Shepherd
Imagine yourself abandoned in a foreign country, surrounded by strangers whose language and customs are incomprehensible to you. For a three-year-old whose mother tongue differs from the predominant language in the nursery, starting nursery may be just as traumatic.
Our first instinct was to involve parents to help such children, inviting them to work alongside staff to help their children learn the nursery routines. However, this tends to offer only a short-term solution. Inevitably, the time comes when the parents must leave.
Luckily, one of our nursery nurses is fluent in Punjabi and she is also able to help children who speak Urdu. But although these languages are spoken by most of our current second-language learners, the range of languages in the nursery has included Malay, French, German, Japanese, Canton- ese, Italian and Dutch, and we needed some way to support all of these children.
A computer programme that showed our nursery routines with spoken and written commentaries in different languages seemed to offer a solution. So we applied for, and were fortunate to receive, an ICT innovations award through the National Grid for Learning Scotland. This allowed us to purchase a digital camera, computer microphone and software package to prepare the programme. It also bought valuable supply cover!
We helped the children photograph their peers hanging up coats, washing hands, having a snack and so on. Clicker 4 software was used to present these pictures on the computer. Next we made voice recordings with children, parents and staff speaking different languages, including English, to go with the pictures. The recordings are played by clicking on icons, which feature a different character for each language, at the side of the screen.
The children were delighted to see and hear themselves on the computer, and almost all of them used the programme. Children new to the nursery tended to prefer activities that reflected their home experiences, or to remain in the areas monitored by their key workers. Some children who had been in nursery for several months, lured by their photographs on screen, chose to use the computer for the first time, and now use it regularly. Most used the programme to explore other languages and appeared fascinated by the different voices. Bilingual pupils showed great pride in hearing their own language.
Clearly the programme has increased self-esteem and fostered an appreciation of languages, while it has helped to reinforce nursery routines generally. As to whether it actually helps second language learners to settle better, time and more observations will tell. I aim to make this the focus of a research project, so watch this space!
Karen Shepherd is nursery teacher at Killermont Primary School in Bearsden, Glasgow
