Building bridges and cultivating linguistic assets: Building on students' L1 resources through parental engagement in English language education
Submitted by:
Jemima Rillera Kempster
Abstract:
The involvement of parents and families is often believed to provide a strong foundation for children's academic success and personal growth. Research has shown that parents play a crucial role in developing and supporting language and literacy skills throughout their children's schooling (Heinrichs et al, 2023). The latest Australian census (2021) confirms that nearly half of the population has parents born overseas and over 300 languages spoken at home, and yet, the knowledge and experiences of migrant and refugee-background parents are often minimised or dismissed in the education system. Home languages continue to be perceived as a threat rather than a bridge to learning the dominant language. To create inclusive and compassionate learning spaces, our classrooms must reflect more closely the reality of a culturally and linguistically diverse Australian population. This presentation will present findings from a doctoral research project that examined the educational experiences of adult English language learners with limited education and literacy skills from their homelands to online learning during the COVID-19 crisis. The study aims to provide insights into their educational trajectory and examine the systemic and structural vulnerabilities that restrict equitable access to knowledge, public discourse, and meaningful participation in the community. By listening to the narratives of adult English language learners through their Educational Journey Maps, it is hoped that students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds can be holistically supported in their academic success by tapping into the greater ecology of knowledges (Santos, 2007) of their parents and/or elders.
Heinrichs, D.H., Hager, G., McCormack, B.A. & Lazaroo, N. (2023) Blurring English language binaries: a decolonial analysis of multilingualism with(in) EAL/D education, Changing English, 30 (3), 286-300, DOI: 10.1080/1358684X.2023.2214086
Santos B. de S. (2007). Another knowledge is possible : Beyond northern epistemologies. Verso.