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Camden Lea Policy statement on Community Language Classes
The term Community Languages, also known as mother-tongue or first languages, is used here to encompass the range of language used in Camden by diverse communities).
Camden LA supports the development and use of pupils’ home and community languages as part of their education. Community languages provide an important foundation for pupils’ educational success, helping them to build on their prior knowledge and experiences and supporting their full inclusion in school life. Schools’ commitment to the development of home languages is an important aspect of their work to promote equality and value diversity.
In schools, pupils should be given opportunities to use their diverse language skills to think about and discuss concepts and ideas with their peers, to support their access to the curriculum. If they are literate in community languages they should be given opportunities to read and write in school. Bilingual and multilingual pupils can be encouraged to share their knowledge of languages with their classmates and teachers, broadening everyone’s knowledge. Bilingual or multilingual teaching and support staff can help in this process.
Schools encourage parents to support the use of community languages, for example through storytelling and reading for younger pupils and through attendance at community language classes. Many schools have community language or dual language books that can be lent to parents and pupils, as well as story-tapes in a variety of home languages. Parents may be encouraged to contribute, where appropriate, to schools’ resources, making tapes or translating stories.
it is difficult for schools to develop pupils’ knowledge and skills in their community languages within the school curriculum, particularly in literacy. We would encourage schools therefore to consider providing community language classes. In the past few years the Lea, working with schools and community groups, has successfully increased provision for community language teaching. This has been a key strategy in promoting inclusion and raising attainment of ethnic minority pupils.
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