3.8 Apoio direcionado - Língua

The ECML?s mission is to encourage excellence and innovation in language teaching and support its member states in the implementation of effective language education policies. It does so by bringing together language experts to develop innovative, research-informed solutions to challenges in language education. Through dialogue and exchange with relevant stakeholders the ECML acts as a pioneering institution and a catalyst for reform in the teaching and learning of languages.

Instruction programme which prepares for basic education is intended for those pupils of immigrant background whose Finnish or Swedish language skills and/or other abilities are not sufficient to study in a pre-primary or basic education group. The objective is to support the pupils? balanced development and integration into Finnish society and to give them the necessary skills to enable them to attend basic education. Where appropriate, the programme includes opportunities to study other subjects, but with a focus on learning Finnish and Swedish language skills. This education takes into consideration the fact that pupils are different in terms of age, learning capabilities and background.

Maltese learner support initiatives around improving literacy are set within an overall context of a ?National Literacy Strategy for All? which sought to consolidate current national programmes which has involved over 8000 students per year. Schools are able to plan and run their own literacy support projects for their own pupils and students who may need this. These initiatives are funded through grants, mainly from the local authorities.

KOALA (KOordnierte ALphabetisierung im Anfangsunterricht – coordinated literacy in elementary instruction) is an innovative concept of linking literacy and multilingual competences, which has been introduced in primary schools in several German Länder. In Nordrhein-Westfalen the methodology is gradually being expanded and adapted to the changing learner populations in the cities.

All language learning is based on conscious or unconscious comparison between the languages we already know and the ones we learn. This aspect can be turned into a valuable resource in classrooms that are challenged with the cultural and linguistic integration of recently arrived learners from many different countries.

Increased mobility and changing patterns of migration are having a major impact on education systems throughout the world. The need to equip all levels of the school workforce for working effectively with children who are new to the host country?s language has been apparent for some time. It is not only children who are new to the host country who need support ? bilingual learners do too. Growing up and living in a family where two or more languages are spoken changes linguistic ability and the way one learns. Bilingual learners thus have specific needs ? and in particular require special resources for learning. These resources build the foundation of their development and learning.

The Little Language Learners Family Learning programme (piloted by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education) aims to support migrant parents develop language skills and provides them with opportunities to become more familiar with the school enviornment. The aim is to also support parents develop effective learning strategies with their children at home.

In Cologne, as in all major German cities, there is a large proportion of children who learn German as their second language and the education system has gradually had to adapt to this situation. The City Council used the opportunity to create the Association of European Primary Schools in order to offer the possibility to children to develop two languages in addition to their mother tongue. The 13 member schools uses the most common heritage languages as languages of instruction in addition to German, and provide additional language teaching as a separate subject.

The numbers of migrant children are increasing in Maltese state schools. These young learners can be disadvantaged in learning because they do not have sufficient Maltese and/or English language skills. In addition the school and learning experience of such young people can vary greatly. Some have had no prior schooling. With EU funds, new on-line tools have been created to support language learning and literacy skills for newly arrived migrants.