Elaine Gwendolen Reimann

The Supportive Classroom: Language Acquisition in a Multilingual Environment Elaine Gwendolen Reimann

As a result of globalisation many parents choose or find themselves in a position to raise their children in a cross-cultural, multilingual environment. An increasing number of children have parents who speak different mother tongues and/or multiple languages. Wanting their children to be successful students within these multilingual environments common questions arise: Should I stop speaking to my child in my mother tongue? Should we hire a language tutor? What common language should we speak at home? How do I best support my child?s acquisition of multiple languages? Educators are equally faced with an ever-changing multilingual and multicultural student body and are in the unique position to create a supportive learning environment. They can provide tools and strategies to help these multilingual young learners. This book provides practical tips and proven strategies to support the crucial years of early childhood development within a multilingual & multicultural environment. It is based on classroom research, personal experience as a child, a mother, and a teacher in a multilingual world.