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Original poster

Different Language Schooling

26 replies

mummygow · 30/03/2006 12:50

I was never going to send my dd to a school in our area (It's not a particulary nice area of Glasgow and she would never fit in).

I was always planning on a placing request, so after looking at the performance results of primary schools in and around Glasgow the one that I feel would offer her the best education and where she would flourish socially (as she is polite, well mannered and not streetwise at all) is the Glagow Gaelic School.

Howerever I am concered that for the first 2 and a half years they only speak Gaelic (I know this sounds obviouse), although the results for their exams in English for reading and writing was 93% last year.

My dd is a very clever and confident little girl and I have put a lot of effort into teaching her numbers, letters, basic maths and have started teaching her to read.

So what I wanted to know is, has anyone else sent their child to a school that speaks a different language and how has he/she coped, has their english suffered and have they fallen behind in their abilities as the teaching is in a differnt language.

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katyp · 30/03/2006 12:57

Don't know about the system in Scotland but there are lots of schools in Ireland like this (and many of the kids won't have learned Gaelic beforehand at home.) I assume the same would apply in Glasgow so the teachers will be used to this. Your dd will also be at a really good age to learn a second language. In Ireland the teachers do speak some English to the kids at first (otherwise how would they explain anything?) and many schools also run evening classes for parents so they can keep up with what the children are learning. Don't see why her English would suffer if that is what she is speaking at home.

Original poster
mummygow · 30/03/2006 13:08

I have applied for her to attend her pre-scool nursery year at the Gaelic Nursery so I would assume that it is introduced at nursery.

They do send everything home in english for the parents and a helpline has been set up for the parents plus my dh and I would like to go to classes.

The school also offers lots of extra-curricular activities and clubs and seems to encourage lots of traditional playground activities and games that many schools seem to discourage (balls, skipping ropes etc).

They also learn German in P6 and P7 so would be leaving primary basically knowing nearly 3 languages.

Would just love someone to tell me how it has affected their child and put all of my (probably unnecessary) fears away and to go with my gut instinct that it woulkd be a fabulous school and great oppertunity for my dd if she was accepted.

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Original poster
mummygow · 30/03/2006 15:10

Thanks katyp for your reply, just popping on another post to see if I can get anymore feedback for a wider view or for more personal experience Smile

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Hausfrau · 30/03/2006 15:19

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Original poster
mummygow · 30/03/2006 23:14

Thanks Hausfrau - so are you saying that it's a bad idea or that if she does go dont force her to learn to read in english until she is taught it in P3 (she will be 7 then)

I was thinking that she will still be learning to write in P1 so that shouldn't suffer - I dont imagine her maths will either - it's just the confusion she may feel that worries me, or is it my own lack of confidence that would be holding her back?

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Hausfrau · 31/03/2006 09:07

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Original poster
mummygow · 31/03/2006 10:43

Hausfrau I kmow what you mean - it's not about being a snob (not wanting to send her to school in our own area) it's where I can get the best possible education without having to buy a house I cant afford to get her into an ok primary! The gaelic school doesnt have a catchment area and has great results - I have no idea how the entry requirements work because it's not a private school - it's a council school.

Dh is going to phone his cousin as he is a Gaelic teacher up north to ask him what he thinks

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Hausfrau · 31/03/2006 10:51

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dolally · 31/03/2006 11:03

mummgow - have you looked at the language-bilinguals topics on MN?

In my humble opinion you are giving your child a WONDERFUL opportunity in becoming bilingual. It has far-reaching benefits. My 3 are bilingual and have no probs with it.

expatinscotland · 31/03/2006 11:14

FWIW, mummygow, I work with an extremely talented Irish academic who was educated exclusively in Gaelic. She feels it was nothing but a benefit to her and she picked up other languages easily.

Another professor has his son in the Gaelic education programme here in Edinburgh, where he is flourishing - in both languages.

We are considering sending our daughter to the Gaelic unit here as well, as it offers small class sizes and automatic admission to one of the best secondary schools in Edinburgh.

expatinscotland · 31/03/2006 11:18

Hausfrau
There's nothing stopping mummygow from learning Gaelic herself. In fact, the council provides free classes for the parents of children in the Gaelic medium. The professor I work with whose son is in the Gaelic medium here has learned it himself, and he is in his mid-50s.

It's a wonderful opportunity to experience a new language and expand the Scottish culture and heritage.

Hausfrau · 31/03/2006 11:18

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expatinscotland · 31/03/2006 11:19

Oh, the Irish academic went to uni all in English and had no problems at all. In fact, she now speaks German as well.

Original poster
mummygow · 31/03/2006 11:19

ES that's another benefit of the school - it starts at nursery level to primary and then onto secondary - so I would't have to worry about high school as she was nearing the end of primary.

Thanks dolally that's what dh keeps telling me!!

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Nightynight · 31/03/2006 11:24

mummygow, my children started at school in France without a word of French, they were fluent after a few months. They were behind French and English children for a year or so, but dd1, aged 9, now has her correct reading age in both English and French .
Dont compare your dd's progress with other children at English speaking schools, because she will be having a different experience. She'll take it easy if she knows that you aren't worried.

I think its a fantastic opportunity for your dd.

expatinscotland · 31/03/2006 11:25

This is another reason we are interested in the Gaelic primary unit as well, mummy, for the continuity aspect.

Among Glaswegians, it's a LOT about pride in the Scottish culture and heritage rather than snobbery. Demand was so high, there's an entire primary and secondary school which teach exclusively in Gaelic.

I grew up bilingual and languages are exciting and fun. I love learning new ones.

expatinscotland · 31/03/2006 11:26

My dad also didn't speak a word of English when he started primary school - no nursery in his day, just P1 when you were 6. He picked up English w/i months, too.

MrsMills · 31/03/2006 11:40

My 2 ds's have both just started in a Swedish school and don't speak a word of it either. They are 5.5 and 2 years old

We thought long and hard about it and feel we have made the best decision. They are quite young and are already joining in with conversations in their classrooms. It will take a few months for them to be fluent but it's a lot easier for them at this age than it is for DH and I (we are both learning Swedish too). With the support of their school and fantastic teachers we are not finding it as difficult as we thought, though it is early days still.

Each child is allowed at least an hour tuition in his mother tongue, plus I have many of the KS1 books at home for a bit of home ed.

I do expect ds1 to fall behind his friends in England but here they don't start proper school until they are 7 anyway, he is already ahead here in many ways. I have read that children who learn another languange so young often catch up quickly and carry on learning at a much faster rate as that's what they have been doing for so long.

dolally · 31/03/2006 11:55

Yes, my eldest now 14 yrs was a little behind her English contemporaries (not that she's ever been to school in England) but has caught up now. She used to mix the languages in her speech to but that solves itself. I fully expect the younger two to follow the same pattern.

hellywobs · 31/03/2006 11:55

I would really like my son to have thr opportunity to go to the German School in Richmond as I learnt German at school the hard way but did my degree in it and have German friends. But the German School refuses admission to anyone who does not have a decent grasp of German (as does the French school with French). I actually wonder if this is legal and how they deal with other special needs. An English school in the UK cannot shut out someone who has come from abroad who does not speak English and I don't see why foreign language schools in this country should be allowed to take that approach.

Clearly they want to keep their own little clique which I think is very sad.

I would have thought that they could have had a unit for intensive German/French tuition for English speakers coming in and actually encourage people to go to their schools to learn their language well - is it not flattering if a foreigner really wants to learn your language? I think it is strange. A 5 year old will learn so quickly. Oh well.....we don't really live near enough but it would have been nice.

Anyone have an idea why they are taking this exclusionary approach, when some intensive language tuition would solve the problem (even if parents needed to pay extra for it?)

Original poster
mummygow · 31/03/2006 12:38

MrsMills I have also heard that this is the case that when they do catch up they learn at a faster rate and tbh I think the results show this again I think it is my fear of the unknown that would hold me back but feel that this would be unfair to dd's education - so if she is accepted dh and I will definately be taking classes (dh is so excited about it as he thinks he is Braveheart - lol)

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Hausfrau · 31/03/2006 14:44

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Nightynight · 31/03/2006 19:11

hellywobs, I agree that more foreign language or bilingual schools are needed.
I think this is an "expat" mentality, the British can be just as bad when they are abroad!

Ive heard of bilingual schools in Germany (English/German) and in France (French/German). We have so many languages in Europe, we need to tackle this issue seriously. German graduates come out of university speaking 2 or 3 languages fluently, as well as whatever degree they studied. It is possible.

TheBlonde · 31/03/2006 20:12

Hellywobs - interesting to hear about the admissions restrictions on the German and French schools
We are considering the Swedish school in Barnes but as DH and DS are Swedish nationals I don't think we will be refused

Rianna · 30/04/2006 13:23

If your child falls behind in english will depend on how much Engelish they teach.Is it half-half or meanly Gaelic?
As a mother whose children don't learn English at home, I can tell you that off course tehy ahve learned english, but it does take until they are 8 that this language becomes teh dominant language.Also, often it is a handicap that you can't help them better with their homework.
We live here so it makes sense to send them to English schools, but it my own country I would never have sent them to a school with a different language.
Just my opinion!

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