Improving literacy outcomes in multilingual classrooms

TEACHING IN ENGLISH IN MULTILINGUAL CLASSROOMS

Improves literacy outcomes for students by putting language at the heart of an integrated, whole-school approach.

Professional Teacher Course

Licensed PBS Tutors deliver the Teacher Course in their schools.The course incorporates group discussion, small group activities, classroom-based research and highly practical readings. It is designed to develop teachers’ understandings about language and literacy using a functional model of language.The course entails 30 hours of face-to-face professional development in 10 modules which, when combined with between module activities and readings, is equivalent to more than 60 hours of professional development for teachers.

Outcomes
Explanation of how the workings of the language system construct knowledge across all learning areas and in all facets of teaching and learningDevelopment of teachers’ understanding about the patterned ways meanings are made within and across genres so that educators are able to develop students’ language resources to understand and produce those genresDevelopment of teachers’ understanding and use of the differences between spoken and written language, both as a teaching and a learning toolDevelopment of the ability to assess language explicitly and efficiently to support the learning of all studentsPromotion of a teaching and learning cycle that provides opportunities for an explicit focus on language as part of a rich learning environment.

The use of English alongside Indonesian can benefit
learners academically, socially, and culturally. Academically, the addition of
English as a medium of instruction can trigger learners to master content from
English sources, which would then improve their mastery of subjects. 
The
improvement of mastery can lead to the higher academic achievement of students.
Learners in bilingual programs can also gain new literacy skills. These new
literacy and technological skills cannot be learnt without mastering English as
an international language because they are written in English.
Consequently,
mastering English is particularly essential in order to be able to use advanced
technologies.
Socially, learners who master additional languages
have wider networking ties.
 Culturally, learners will learn other cultures through
bilingual education, because using and learning other language involves
learning other cultures. Through correct understanding of English speaking
culture, learners can use the language effectively. In my study, learners
imagine that bilingual programs will transform students’ desire and expectation
of becoming inter-culturally competent graduates.