Further Research

It would seem as if the present research might benefit from replication in order to verify the findings. Further research might also consider the role of bilingual education in primary schools. It might consider whether the progression of bilingual children in schools will be better achieved by establishing community language teaching as the medium of instruction along­ side English. In this context, research might also consider whether reading instruction should be initiated in the home language, in English or in both.

Other research also needs to focus on finding alternative ways of assessing the reading of bilingual children apart from standardised tests. A study might also be made of the results

of assessments made by bilingual staff and those made by monolingual staff in order to ascertain if there are any differentials. Research also needs to be mounted to consider the progress of specific groups of Asian pupils. Taylor and Hegarty (1985) identify certain groups, for example Mirpuri Muslims, as having more specific needs in schools than others and further studies might identify where these needs are and where help can be directed. The involvement of bilingual parents in the life of the school and the effect this might have on the children's progress might also be examined.

Language is a key area for further development. There might be some point studying the influence of a particular community language on the miscues made when children read and defining the miscue variables that might be expected from the children as they gain proficiency in English. It might be possible to establish relationships between the home language and ahy disruption to syntax or concepts in the second language. Language research might also be mounted to consider the effect of some of the new approaches, such as the World Studies Project (1985) and a programme of linguistic awareness, on progression in learning a second language.

7.7 Summary

The research highlighted some disruption to comprehension when reading, especially among younger and also less able bilingual readers, and also to a lesser extent among readers in the last year of the junior school. While it could be accepted that this was part of their progression towards acquiring proficiency in

English, some concern was felt for the length of time over which the differentials in the variables between bilingual and mono­ lingual children seemed to exist. This chapter, therefore, has examined some of the points arising from the findings and has tried to make recommendations related to the findings that might help in the teaching of bilingual children.

It seemed as if certain courses of action could be directly related to these findings. Continued additional teaching support would be needed, more especially from bilingual teachers who would be able to help both oral language and reading, through the medium of the community language. However, most bilingual children are taught by monolingual teachers. Approaches, therefore, need to be formulated by means of which monolingual teachers might help bilingual children. As the children from language centres are now in the mainstream, it is also important for all teachers to be aware of any methodology that might advance the progression of bilingual children in the mainstream curriculum.

Because of the dependency of reading on oral language, many of the suggested approaches focussed as much on oral language as on reading. The approaches that were appraised were a taxonomy for teaching English as a second language across the curriculum, a programme for developing linguistic awareness and the teaching methods and ideas contained in the Schools Council Project,

"Language in the Multi-Cultural Primary Classroom" (1983) and in the World Studies Project (1985). It would seem that any of them might enhance concepts and reading skills.

The chapter then considered, more specifically, the type of reading material that might increase motivation for bilingual children and that might enhance concepts encountered in reading. The most acceptable material would be bilingual books that would have the text of the community language and English running alongside each other. Unfortunately such material is still in short supply. Some suggestions were also made to help with the teaching of reading to bilingual pupils. These included the use of cloze procedures, prior discussion of the text and some advice on assessing reading that might supplement or replace standardised tests.

Finally, the chapter focussed on areas for further research, including a replication of the present study, a consideration of the place of bilingual education in schools, and alternative methods of monitoring reading. It emphasised the importance of identifying the needs of specific groups of bilingual children. Further research might also focus on the influence of new methodologies in teaching, for example the World Studies Project and a programme of linguistic awareness, and the effect they might have on the development of language concepts and reading

■APPENDIX A

SERCH ~ SHEFFIELD EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH, CURRENT HIGHLIGHTS 5