Try to find out as completely as possible which languages ​​your student speaks. You can see each language as a new source of knowledge. If a student speaks English, for example, you can fall back on this, also during a math lesson.

Putting it into action: A language portrait is a useful tool to find out which languages ​​your student speaks.

Example: Mohammad was born in Syria and speaks Syrian Arabic with his parents. Before Mohammad came to live in the Netherlands, he lived in Turkey for a few years and went to school there. Mohammad also speaks Turkish, but does not share this with his parents. The knowledge he acquired in Turkey – in Turkish – can also be valuable for learning arithmetic in the Netherlands.

What’s behind it? People often talk about “the student’s home language”, which can give the impression that only one language is spoken at home. However, there are many students who speak more than two languages. Think for example of students who went to school in different countries, students who learn English via the internet, or students whose parents both speak a different language.

Quote:
Ms Violet: “And I noticed that with Zamia: she also got a lot of support from English. (…) For Zamia, I think it [communicating in English] also meant ‘belonging to the big world’. And then you can say ‘that shouldn’t be done’, but that was what was ‘with it’. And that ‘it shouldn’t be done’… that is [that concern] of ‘yes, but that also gets in the way of learning Dutch’…

And I thought: ‘yes, but…’”
Researcher: …it can also help, right?
Ms Violet: “yes, because she really wanted to communicate. And she got a lot out of English for that. So that is something I think myself: the more languages, the more fun. And the more important that that may be.” (…) “Of course, English is also a connecting language. It is international, that lifts something.”

If the student speaks languages ​​other than Dutch, you can use multilingual cheat sheets and posters as a learning aid. How you use this depends on the situation.

Putting it into action: You can give the student the assignment to make a bilingual or multilingual cheat sheet themselves, or at home together with a parent. As a teacher/supervisor, you can also make a cheat sheet together with the student. This can be stuck on the table or put in a book. It can be about naming times on the clock, translations of words that keep coming back in a certain theme, and so on. A cheat sheet helps the student with support until the subject matter has been mastered. When making a cheat sheet or poster, you can use a dictionary, ChatGPT, Google Translate, SayHi, help from fellow students and parents, for example.

What’s behind it: A poster is appropriate when multiple students speak the same language. A poster on the wall in the classroom then serves as a reference, and if you hang it in the hallway, it conveys a message to parents and students from other classes.

Example: Rafiq can count and calculate in Dari. Because Dari not only sounds different, but also has a different script, Rafiq needs a little more time to get used to calculating in Dutch. It helps him to have a piece of paper on the corner of his desk with the numbers in Dari and Dutch. He can look at it while calculating. Eventually he remembers the numbers, and the piece of paper is no longer necessary.

Students who speak the same language can be paired up as language buddies.

Example: Dominik and Eva both speak Russian. They are allowed to work together on a math assignment. Dominik knows the subject matter, but does not speak Dutch very well yet. Eva speaks Dutch well, but is not yet very familiar with the subject matter. Dominik and Eva complement each other in knowledge and can therefore help each other well.

What’s behind it: This gives them the opportunity to help each other with translations. This not only helps with self-confidence and feeling at home at school, but it is also a very fast and practical form of translation (compared to a translation machine such as ChatGPT and Google Translate). Students can also discuss how to solve a math problem and can also use their home language. The answer can even be written down in the home language first, and then in Dutch.

As an adult, your role is often that you have more knowledge than the student. When the student speaks a language that you do not speak, this gives you the opportunity to switch roles and let the student take on the role of teacher.

Putting into action: During maths class, the student can explain to you how a concept is discussed or tackled in the other language(s) that the student speaks. For example, the student can teach you to count to ten in their home language. Don’t be afraid that the pronunciation is difficult; it can create a bond when you happily make an effort to remember a few words. The next time you help them with maths, you can also fall back on his/her home language together. Performing calculations sometimes goes a bit faster if this is allowed in the home language. Also ask your student in which language he/she thinks while doing different sums!

What’s behind it: In order to develop self-confidence, it is important that the student realizes that he/she already has a lot of knowledge. When attention is paid to the home language, and for example stories about holidays or food from cultures other than Dutch, opportunities arise for the student to experience that his/her input is valuable.