Teachers use the MT to support the official school language in the final year of the programme. Teachers introduce and teach concepts in the official school language and encourage students to use it as they do activities together. Teachers continue to speak carefully to help students understand. They introduce 1-3 new terms relating to the lesson that students will need to know as they continue into higher grades. Then teachers finish the lesson by using the students’ MT to check for comprehension.
The year-by-year schedule below is an example of the way this process might look in a seven-year MTB MLE programme for children who have at least some exposure to the L2 outside of the classroom. 2 You will notice that the students( age 5) begin learning to read and write in their MT in pre-primary.
Grade
Languages as subjects
Languages for teaching
Pre-
Primary Oral L1
Begin L1 literacy( 2 nd semester)
Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Oral L1 L1 literacy
Introduce oral L2
Oral and written L1
Oral and written L2
Oral and written L1
Oral and written L2
Oral and written L1
Oral and written L2
Oral and written L1
Oral and written L2
Oral and written L1
Oral and written L2
L1 only L1 only L1 only L1-L2-L1 L1-L2-L1 L1-L2-L1 L2-L1
In summary, MTB MLE students achieve success in school because...
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The language and culture, knowledge and experience they bring from their home and community are the foundation for learning when they begin school. Each grade builds on the knowledge and skills that they have already learned to help them understand new concepts and learn new skills.
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They gain confidence in using one or more official school languages through activities that are meaningful and enjoyable. By the end of primary school they are prepared to use the official school language( s) to continue learning in secondary school and beyond.
Booklet for Policy Makers
2 L1: first language or MT; L2: official school language( MTB MLE students’ 2nd school language)
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