{"id":359072,"date":"2022-06-20T13:16:35","date_gmt":"2022-06-20T11:16:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/?p=359072"},"modified":"2022-08-10T22:20:01","modified_gmt":"2022-08-10T20:20:01","slug":"zulu-eng-bilingual-instruction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/education\/zulu-eng-bilingual-instruction\/","title":{"rendered":"isiZulu and English bilingual instruction at Redhill School"},"content":{"rendered":"

Connection and identity begin with language<\/strong><\/h2>\n

isiZulu and English bilingual instruction at Redhill School<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1996, Nelson Mandela said, \u201cIf you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.\u201d Over 25 years later, South Africans are more in need of connecting with each other\u2019s hearts than we have been in many years.[1]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To progress together, we citizens \u2013 and our children! \u2013 must speak each other\u2019s languages.<\/p>\n

To put a finer point on it, children intending to become adults who live and work in South Africa must learn to speak at least one Black South African language. This is why the long-term vision for Redhill School is that all students who eventually graduate from Redhill are fluent in a Black South African language.<\/p>\n

For the past year, Redhill School has successfully run an isiZulu\/English[2]<\/sup><\/a> bilingual immersion programme in the Early Learning Centre (Grades 000-1), where both the teacher and co-teacher use both languages in the classroom.<\/p>\n

This has paved the way for a different way of thinking about the Junior School years (Grades 2 to 5). It has also involved in-depth research into international best practice and examining both the additional benefits to the brain and the ideal age for bilingual immersion.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what we learned:<\/p>\n

Strengthening identity<\/h2>\n

Language isn\u2019t only about information and understanding; it also has an impact on identity and a sense of cultural space.<\/p>\n

Professor Emerita Mary Maguire[3]<\/sup><\/a>, of McGill University\u2019s Department of Integrated Studies in Education, writes that \u201cplaces are both physical territories with clearly defined borders and culturally constructed spaces through intricate social networks of social relationships.\u201d\u00a0Language, she suggests, can contribute to a sense of belonging and identity within a cultural space.<\/p>\n

For many Black students in private school environments, school can feel like a place of whiteness. Black students may adapt to the language of the school; communicating in the language that is \u201crequired for economic success\u201d; that means \u201cjob security and an ability to communicate beyond boundaries\u201d[4]<\/sup><\/a>. But this can lead to a sense of alienation or feelings of inferiority. Citizenship remains a core element, with language a primary element of participation within a community.<\/p>\n

Enhancing the brain<\/h2>\n

Neuroplasticity\u00a0refers to the brain\u2019s ability to re-organise itself throughout life, by forming new neural connections and pathways. It is the shaping and moulding of the brain, and it is powered by two things: learning\u00a0and\u00a0memory. Learning and memory produce new neurons, either by making new synaptic connections or by reinforcing the strength of existing ones \u2013 and these form neural pathways.<\/p>\n

Many people like to think of neural pathways as the brain\u2019s \u201cwiring system\u201d, but I prefer to see them as roads<\/em>. As students\u2019 brains take on more information and learn from their experiences, the roads inside their brains evolve \u2014 becoming smoother, longer, wider; shifting from sandy paths into multi-lane highways over time.<\/p>\n

Students who understand two languages show more cognitive flexibility, creative thinking, and problem-solving abilities than monolingual students of the same age. Plus, students who learn literacy in a second language can transfer their skills to the other language. The bilingual brain gets a heightened workout when it comes to:<\/p>\n