Translanguaging, I learnt, is having input in one language and output in another.
Dr Si'ilata's main message was to value the languages children bring to school. She said people used to believe that if children were strong in their first language then there was less space in their minds for learning English. The understanding now though is that if children are strong in their first language this will support them to have a strong understanding of English, too.
She showed some practical examples of children using the Pasifika dual language texts. At Holy Cross School the children were reading 'Let's Go' and making their own version of the book online with photos and audio files of them reading it in different languages.
She showed the blog of a colleague who was using Pasifika stories to engage her learners: http://kylahansell.blogspot.co.nz/
She mentioned that the audio files of some of the stories online had the words read too fast, so the school had used children's older siblings to record slower versions.
Takeaway: This seminar gave me some ideas about how to use the dual language texts in my class. I will look into good apps for making an online book and use this with a simple bilingual text like 'Let's Go.'
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