Bilingual children in Scottish Schools

[Ickythumpego]

Hi,
Im looking for advice from parents with Bilingual children in Scottish schools. We have recently come from a European country to Scotland, and I want my kids to be able to keep up their other language.

School sadly won't give additional work- head of year keeps saying they will, but the subject teacher has never given any and my child is convinced they are now hated by this teacher! For my childrens well being I think I've got to leave this alone now.

I'd love some advice from people who do this already. They are enrolled in a Saturday 'school', and only watching tv in European language. Is there a relatively cheap tutor service/ billingual class group or something that they could join mid week? How do we keep the European language going? All ideas and suggestions welcomed. Thanks

My niece is bilingual, her parent who speaks that language only uses that ( and not English ) with her.

Can’t you and your husband just keep up their other language?

IME Saturday school will only work for a while as they will resent spending their Saturdays doing more school work.

Do you plan for them to sit Nat 5 and Higher in this subject ? Why would they need extra work from their subject teacher?

Sorry I should say that her parent who is the native speaker only uses that with her. Both parents speak the language.

My youngest had several children in his glass who were bilingual - parents from Germany, France and Greece.

Depending on the language, you can't really expect school to support that learning. They have enough of a job supporting the standard learning in English, without having to support children to keep up their other language too. This really has to be something managed through home, or by exploring various groups for people of the same background. I know the kid with French speaking parents went to some sort of "french school" on a Saturday to help with writing and grammar.

(There's also the situation that the child in DS's year who was born in France to French speaking parents, and who speaks the language to native standards has just been allowed to sit her French Higher. Unsurprisingly aced it. )

Hi, thanks everyone. I think Im figuring out how things work in Scottish Modern Language departments in secondary schools, I seem to be seen as totally unreasonable for asking them to meet their needs - but Im a teacher too, and worked in Scottish, German and French schools. For my subject, I have to differentiate for the class. If I have a student who needs extension work, I have to give it or I would not be meeting their needs. I was just surprised that doesn't happen in Modern Languages in Scotland. I even offered that they take their Saturday school homework if that helps. Also, children I know who returned to England were permitted to sit their GCSE straight away, again Im surprised this isnt a consideration.

Anyway, that's a side rant! We accept their stance. I continue my search for affordable language learning and appreciate every suggestion.

Your OP doesn’t make it clear your children are taking the language as a school subject...

So your children ARE taking the language at school but you want the subject teacher to give then extension work - is that right ?

If you are teacher and speak the language, why don’t you just do that yourself ?

Why would it help them to sit the exam early ?

Sorry but you can't expect the school to give your children extra work because you want them to learn something that's not in the curriculum. Ehat if every parent expected that If? If you want th to keep up their native language, that needs to be done on your time. How can this be affecting your children's mental health? You must be making this into a very stressful situation for them.

So your children are being taught this at school, you just want them to be given extra work? Don't think that's a reasonable demand either.

I also think it's really unfair that native english speaking children, who are learning a new language from zero, without any family members who speak that language, are sitting exams and being "judged" in comparison to native speakers of that language.

If you are from a French speaking family, of COURSE you're going to do exceptionally well in Nat 5 and Higher French. An "A" in a subject which is designed for learners is totally pointless and meaningless.

Im so sorry, I'm really unclear. Ok, I get it. They will sit in the subect and do the work of beginers. I HAVE ALREADY STATED THAT. Of course its in the curriculum, Im not asking them to do a different language, just hand them a harder worksheet!

Im not a teacher of this subject.

BUT my real question is help finding language learning.

By the way, Im taking it from this thread that I can stop differentiating in my own lessons but of course I wont.

And seriously nobody has mentioned their mental health. They are fine thanks! Can you clarify what part of my post made you think that?

The responses hear are making question my own mental health people thinking Im asking for work outside or the curriculum! Bloody hell, Ive said about 4 times Ive given up asking them for extension worksheets in a language they are learning in school.

Any advice at all on affordable language learning?

SockYarn I agree completely.

@Ickythumpego

And seriously nobody has mentioned their mental health. They are fine thanks! Can you clarify what part of my post made you think that?

The responses hear are making question my own mental health people thinking Im asking for work outside or the curriculum! Bloody hell, Ive said about 4 times Ive given up asking them for extension worksheets in a language they are learning in school.

Any advice at all on affordable language learning?

Maybe it was this bit of your OP

"...the subject teacher has never given any and my child is convinced they are now hated by this teacher! For my childrens well being I think I've got to leave this alone now."

Sorry then, in no way did I mean to imply my childrens mental health was ever in jeopardy. What I meant to put across is that the teacher is annoyed, and I dont want my kids becoming known as a pain in the ass because I have asked for an extra worksheet. To me, this isnt mental health.

I would really, genuinly appreciate any advice re affordable language learning.

Can you speak this language fluently yourself? Are your kids fluent and how old are they? I know kids who were fluent when they moved back to the U.K. who have almost lost the language as teens, despite encouragement from their parents.

Tbh a Saturday school plus tv and a bit of conversation at home is a very good start. We can’t do the conversation as we’re not fluent ourselves. There are lots of online tutors but that doesn’t work for young kids. We looked around for play based lessons but couldn’t find much. We had considered paying an international student to babysit and chat, but we’re not in a studenty area and I think we’ve missed the boat now.

DDs had 2 bilingual kids in her year who managed to keep up with their other languages (German and Spanish) by speaking at home/watching TV/reading and holidays. School supported them to sit national 5s with some lunchtime exam content sessions and writing practise however neither did normal classes (deemed a waste of a subject choice). I think one crashed an AH in S6 doing normal classes.

School didn't do early presentation for any exams in any subjects. I can understand this otherwise they'd have musicians, athletes etc all asking to do the same which would have been hard to manage.

I'm a language teacher and if I had a child in my class already fluent in the language, I absolutely would provide them with additional material, separate to the beginners' material being studied by the rest of the class. Depending on their level, I would enter them for their GCSE early, preferably by year 9, leaving a spare option so they could do another subject and thus end up with an extra GCSE. I've done this in the past with a few kids whose parents were from Spain/France or a country where those languages are spoken. It doesn't seem to me that you're being unreasonable to want the school/teacher to challenge them with more difficult material. A better option though might be to ask if your child can be moved into a class learning a different language, if the school offers a different language. That way, he/she could continue to practise the language he/she already knows at home, but could benefit from learning a new language at school.

Hi pjd - can I ask if you are teaching in England or Scotland? All the other children we know who returned from Europe went to school in England and have recieved the treatment you described. This is why I expected similar for my children. As you can see from this thread, in Scotland, im seen as totaly unreasonable for even asking. Having been out of the country for 20 years, I am realise Ive become culturaly clueless.
As a language teacher, do you have any top tips for keeping them speaking? Two of them call friends every week (one too young), watching tv in their language, speaking with me(not all the time, Im not perfect) and Saturday school. Like peakotter suggested I might see if I can find a student to come round mid week and do a bit of babysitting. All ideas welcomed! Thanks

I'm in England. It sounds like you're doing all the right things. I currently have a student who lived in Spain until she was 8, though she and both parents are English. She does French at school but to keep up her Spanish, her parents have found her a tutor. She has weekly sessions which have ensured she is maintaining the accuracy of the language, as just speaking and listening to the language can lead to a decline in written accuracy. But I know tutors don't come cheap, this isn't an option for everyone. As well as watching TV in the language, it would also be worth finding some youtubers they might be interested in. They are a great, almost endless source of authentic material. Good luck!

Sorry, I didn't realise this thread was in Scotsnet! My perspective as a teacher in England might not be all that helpful for you!

OP you can't say that "in Scotland" you are unreasonable to ask - you only have experience of this one school don't you? I take it they are secondary, are they in the exam years yet? It would be possible to put an S4 student in a higher class, for example. Harder to put an S1 in a Nat5 class. Textbooks for older children already exist so it wouldn't be that hard to try them on one. I would ask to speak to the guidance teacher about their progress and discuss this (will need to be on the phone for now)

Hangingbasketofdoom thanks, I have asked for the older textbook, I have asked if they could bring the saturday school homework, I have asked for anything at all that isn't starting from scratch. Ive asked to speak to teachers, and been politely fobbed off. Every time Ive sent an email, the following day my kids are told off in this subject.
And sure, I shouldnt be saying 'In Scotland', generalising, but did you read this thread? Every single person on it feels like Im unreasonable, except a teacher in the English system (thanks pjd) So, we deal with what we've got. I'm looking for other ways my kids can continue their learning.

Ive been given some great ideas so far and I feel confident we can make a good go of it outside school. Any further ideas appreciated.

Well I work in the Scottish system and don't think you are unreasonable! I don't know who you are talking to in the school but really do get hold of the guidance teacher. And ask for a review with them of whatever is arranged in a few months.