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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/ 090210092721.htm

Multilingualism BringsCommunities Closer Together

ScienceDaily (Feb. 10, 2009) — Learning their communitylanguage outside the home enhances minority ethnic children'sdevelopment, according to research led from the University of Birmingham. The research, which was funded by the Economicand Social Research Council, found that attending language classesat complementary schools has a positive impact on students.Complementary schools provide out-of-school-hours communitylanguage learning for children and young people from minoritygroups. They aim to develop students' multilingualism, strengthenthe link between home and the community, and connect them withwider social networks. The study found that the parents believedthat bilingualism had economic benefits for their children as itimproved their chances of success in the global jobs market.According to Angela Creese, Professor of Educational Linguistics,who led the research, there is a growing interest in complementaryschools because they are unique, offering students the opportunityto develop their verbal and written language skills across a varietyof languages 'It is rare to find an environment where two or more

languages are used in teaching and learning,' she explains.'Teachers and young people move between languages, and ourfindings show that the children are proud of their flexible languageskills. One Turkish boy told us he was learning four languages andloved being able to show off to his friends.'The research builds on an earlier study of complementary schoolsin Leicester that found significant evidence of the value of theseschools. Consisting of linked case studies of schools serving fourof Britain's linguistic minority communities, the study focused onBengali schools in Birmingham, Chinese schools in Manchester,Gujarati schools in Leicester, and Turkish schools in London. Itexplored the social, cultural and linguistic significance of theseschools in their communities and in wider society.The findings highlight the general view among minoritycommunities that children need to study language, heritage andculture at school rather than in isolation at home. A Chinese parenttold the researchers that children who were taught by private tutorshad a limited experience: 'They need to learn with other kids, tosee how other children learn, their attitudes and so on. Then theycan decide for themselves what kind of person they should be.'The research team found that, for students in complementaryschools, being bilingual is associated with contemporary,cosmopolitan identities. Students often see themselves as'successful learners' as well as 'multicultural' and 'bilingual', thereport says. 'Teachers and students alike see the complementaryschools as places where they can develop multicultural,multilingual identities', says Professor Creese.

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