HE20610 Bachelor of Early

Childhood Education and Care

(Birth-5)
WEEK 4 S2 2024
TOPIC: DIVERSE LEARNERS AND CULTURAL
RESPONSIVENESS

The content in this document is copyright © 2024 TAFE NSW - Higher Education
and should not be reproduced without the permission of the TAFE NSW.
2

DIVERSE LEARNERS AND CULTURAL

RESPONSIVENESS
• Language and culture
• Language variations
• Dialect
• Standard English
• Aboriginal English
• Bilingual and multilingual language learners
• Language diversity and early childhood settings

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

3

INTRODUCTION

• As early childhood professionals we are exposed to children with a wide diversity of language
needs
• We need to understand these diversities and find strategies that allow children to learn and
get the best outcome possible in the early years

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

4

RESEARCH…

❖ What is the population of

Australia?
❖ What percentage of
Australians speak a language
other than English?
❖ What are the main cultural
groups in Australia?

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

5

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

• Australia is culturally diverse country and as a future early childhood professional, you will be
working with children from a range of different cultural backgrounds
• This means that you will need to get to know the families of the children and develop an
understanding of their cultural backgrounds, their home and community communication
practices and values
(Fellowes & Oakley, 2020, p. 64)
• According to Oxford Languages (n.d.) the word culture means ‘the ideas, customs, and social
behaviour of a particular people or society’.
• This incorporates understanding cultural celebrations, food and meal-times, child rearing
practices, recreation, gender and family member roles, religion, music, pastimes and much
more (Fellowes & Oakley, 2020, p. 64)

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

6

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

• It is important to understand that children learn language as a member of a social or cultural

group
• Children’s language, values and social practices are acquired from the people around them and
experiences of their family and community
• Learning language as part of a culture means learning the variety of ways in which to use the
language, linking to ways that reflect the values and beliefs of that culture, family and
community
(Fellowes & Oakley, 2020, p. 64)

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

7

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

• These ways of learning language are:

• Ways in which to begin a conversation
• The rules of turn-taking
• Acceptable times and ways to interrupt
• The appropriate expression of disagreement or apology
• When respectful language is required, assertive language is acceptable and formal language is
necessary
• The use of eye contact to indicate listening
• Averting yet contact to show respect
• Using non-verbal communication practices such as hand gestures, facial expressions and body stance
(Fellowes & Oakley, 2020, pp. 64-65)

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

8

PONDERING TIME…

In small groups discuss some unique aspects of your

culture. Think about:
➢ How do you communicate with others?
➢ How do you show respect?
➢ Are children encouraged to talk?
➢ How will these cultural practices influence how you
will interact with children?

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

9

LANGUAGE VARIATIONS

• There are language variations even in people that speak the same language
• Not all speakers of the same language use it in identical ways
• Different groups using the same language can use it in different ways

(Fellowes & Oakley, 2020, p. 65)

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

10

Think about the language you

speak…
Are there differences that are
easily identifiable depending
which group uses it?
11

LANGUAGE VARIATIONS - DIALECT

• Dialect = ‘a variety of a language that is distinctive to a particular group of people; it can be

regional or social’
• Regional – ‘type of language used by people living in a particular geographical area’
• Social – ‘type of language used by people with certain social characteristics’
• Various dialects may have common characteristics however, they are distinctive in vocabulary,
grammar and pronunciation and rule systems

(Fellowes & Oakley, 2020, p. 65)

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

12

LANGUAGE VARIATIONS – STANDARD ENGLISH

• Standard English = ‘a variety or dialect of English spoken by the people in a country where
English is a first language’
• A language is classified as standard when it is spoken by the majority of the population, and it
is likely to be used in educational and political systems
• It has the status of being the first language spoken by the population
• In Australia, it is important to teach children Standard Australian English (SAE) as being
competent in SAE means having access to important parts of the community and having access
to a wide range of life opportunities

(Fellowes & Oakley, 2020, pp. 65-66)

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

13

LANGUAGE VARIATIONS – ABORIGINAL ENGLISH

• Aboriginal English = the name given to the various forms of English spoken by First Nations
People throughout Australia
• Aboriginal English is spoken throughout Australia
• It is classified as a social dialect as the speakers are not determined by regions however by
social groups
• Aboriginal English can often reflect features of traditional Aboriginal languages

(Fellowes & Oakley, 2020, p. 66)

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

14

LANGUAGE VARIATIONS – ABORIGINAL ENGLISH

Some distinctive features of Aboriginal English are:

• Economy of words = uses fewer words than Standard English to express the same meaning
• Listener responsibility = the listener is largely responsible for working out the meaning
• Significance of family relations/kinship = who is being spoken to is significant in influencing
what is talked about and how
• Absence of direct questioning = direct questions are not generally asked; language is used
differently to seek information

(Fellowes & Oakley, 2020, p. 66)

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

15

LANGUAGE VARIATIONS – ABORIGINAL ENGLISH

• Value of silence = silence is considered to hold meaning; people talking will wait for each other
to speak, knowing they will speak when they are ready to share information
• People speaking at once = it is appropriate for many people to speak at the same time in a
conversation
• Manners or social niceties = these are expressed through facial expression and gesture rather
than words such as please and thank you

(Fellowes & Oakley, 2020, p. 66)

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

16

REFLECTION TIME

When working in an early education service who

has children who speak Aboriginal English, how

does understanding the features of Aboriginal

English assist you in ensuring the best learning

outcomes for the children?

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

17

BILINGUALISM/MULTILINGUALISM

• Bilingualism = ability to speak two languages

• Multilingualism = ability to speak three or more languages
• Children become bilingual or multilingual when the grow up in a home where two or more
languages are spoken or learnt
• It could also be a children learning one or more languages at home and then English at the
early education service
• There is also bidialectalism which is when a child might speak two different dialects of a
particular language

(Fellowes & Oakley, 2020, p. 66)

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

18

BILINGUALISM/MULTILINGUALISM

• When people speak two or more languages fluently, they are able to switch the different
languages for different purposes or in different contexts
• When children are learning their second or third language, they can sometimes mix the two or
more languages in sentences
• This can sometimes also occur when there is no equivalent way to express themselves in the
other language or languages

(Fellowes & Oakley, 2020, p. 67)

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

19

CODE SWITCHING

• As stated before, people that are fluent in multiple languages can switch between these
languages effectively
• This skill is known as ‘code switching’
• For children to code switching effectively, they must have the ability to recognise which
language needs to be spoken at the most appropriate time
• Code switching not only applies to children who are bilingual or multilingual, it applies to
children that use Aboriginal English or a different dialect of English
(Fellowes & Oakley, 2020, p. 67)

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

20

CODE SWITCHING

• To be competent in code switching, the following four steps apply:

• Awareness = recognition of the difference between Standard English and the home language or
dialect and accepting that both are valid ways of speaking
• Separation = understanding the difference between the two and developing competency in both
• Recognition and use = the ability to recognize when code switching is appropriate and to practice it in
real-life situations. It requires a certain degree of proficiency in Standard English and in the practice
of switching languages to suit different situations
• Control = the ability to switch self-consciously between the two languages/dialects for different
speaking situations

(Fellowes & Oakley, 2020, p. 67)

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

21

GROUP DISCUSSION

Think about the concepts of

‘Code Switching’…
How can you use this knowledge
to support children?

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

22

LANGUAGE DIVERSITY AND EARLY CHILDHOOD

SETTINGS
• As stated at the beginning, Australia is a diverse country, meaning it has people who speak different
languages or various dialects of English
• With approximately 22 million people having an alternative home language or dialect, as an early
childhood professional you are bound to encounter children and families that do not have SAE as
their main language
• Your practical choices will influence the confidence, sense of pride and strength of personal identify
for many children
• This is closely connected to the principles, practices and learning outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework
• Educators need to respect different cultural, language and dialect backgrounds; children should be able to use their
first language; and genuine social contexts should be provided to support children in learning SAE

(as cited in Fellowes & Oakley, 2020, p. 67)

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

23

LANGUAGE DIVERSITY AND EARLY CHILDHOOD

SETTINGS
Some practices that early childhood professionals should consider to support culturally, and
linguistically diverse children include:
• Learn about the family, community and cultural settings that the children are exposed to, such as
language, traditions and beliefs
• Foster children’s sense of identity and self-worth by showing respect for and valuing their cultural
backgrounds
• Encourage all families to be involved in the service and support all family types
• Demonstrate that you value children’s home language by nurturing it’s use in the setting, this will
make them confident communications and assist in the cognitive development of English as an
additional language or dialect (EAL/D)
• Encourage children to use and develop their home language. Discuss the benefits with families and
how it can assist with learning a second language

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

24

LANGUAGE DIVERSITY AND EARLY CHILDHOOD

SETTINGS
• Create an environment that reflects the languages and cultures of the children. Explore ways for the
children to hear the use use of their home language
• When children are learning new language concepts, allow them the opportunity to use their first
language to grasp the understanding of the concept and once established allow them to express it in
English – be aware that it takes time to become proficient in EAL/D
• Ensure the learning program is equitable and inclusive of all children; incorporate children’s cultural
experiences into the learning program
• Provide rich, context-embedded opportunities for children to learn SAE; use flexible approaches,
adapt learning experiences and use new strategies to ensure children’s participation in learning;
allow children the opportunity to demonstrate their interests, knowledge and skills
(Fellowes & Oakley, 2020, p. 68)

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

25

WRAP UP

• When living in such a diverse country, it is important to be flexible in our practices

• Being flexible in our daily practices ensures that we meet the needs and interests of the
diverse children that we encounter daily
• Children and families need to be respected and valued every day
• Our educational program and learning environment needs to be reflective and representative
of the families and children that attend our setting

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

26

References
Fellowes, J. & Oakley, G. (2020). Language, literacy and early childhood education (3rd ed.).
Oxford University Press
Oxford Languages. (n.d.). Culture. [Link]

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING

27

The end
28

TUTORIAL

Please refer to the Subject Guide for Week 4 Task

TAFE NSW ECCDD204A MULTI-LITERACY LEARNING