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  2. Supporting Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Early Childhood [LAN4160]

School: Education

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Supporting Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Early Childhood

  • Unit Code

    LAN4160

  • Year

    2016

  • Enrolment Period

    1

  • Version

    1

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus

Description

This unit provides pre-service teachers with the knowledge, skills and understanding important to working with children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds. It explores the ideas of culture, cultural competence, multiculturalism, intercultural relationships, language and dialect and considers ways in which early childhood educators can establish educational contexts that are responsive to the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of children and their families. The importance of effective collaboration with CaLD families is emphasised and ways to achieve this are examined. The unit looks at the theories and research about supporting home languages and learning English as an additional language or dialect as well as effective teaching practices.

Prerequisite Rule

Enrolment in this elective requires that students have completed and passed the following units: LAN1265: English 1: Oral Communication LAN2266: English 2: Literacy learning in the early years LAN3246: English 3: Literacy in the junior primary years of school LAN3260: English 4: Planning and differentiating the English curriculum in early childhood

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Articulate an understanding of culture, cultural competence and multiculturalism and of the importance of each child's cultural and linguistic identity.
  2. Know how to create early childhood learning contexts that reflect and value the cultural and linguistic diversity of children and their families.
  3. Articulate an understanding of language diversity in relation to home language, dialect, communication patterns and the construction of meaning.
  4. Demonstrate knowledge of strategies and practices for fostering the English language learning and development of CaLD children.
  5. Plan, implement and evaluate pedagogical practices that build on children's home and community languages.

Unit Content

  1. Culture: culture and identity, multiculturalism, cultural diversity, cultural competence.
  2. The social and cultural context of families and language development, sociolinguistics.
  3. Language diversity: language and dialect, standard Australian English, home language, diversity of communication patterns and types.
  4. Strategies for engaging, supporting and working in partnership with CaLD families and communities.
  5. Learning English as an additional language or dialect: factors affecting, theories, teaching / learning principles and teaching models and practices.
  6. Supporting homes and community languages.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lectures, workshops, professional inquiry.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentWritten paper50%
ParticipationProfessional Inquiry50%

Text References

  • Arthur, L., Ashton, J., & Beecher, B. (Eds.). (2014). Diverse literacies in early childhood: A social justice approach. Camberwell, Australia: ACER Press.
  • Chartock, R.K. (2010). Strategies and lessons for culturally responsive teaching: A primer for K-12 teachers. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
  • Ebbeck, M., & Waniganayake, M. (Eds.). (2010). Play in early childhood education: Learning in diverse contexts. South Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press.
  • Rodríguez-Brown, F.V. (2009). The home-school connection: Lessons learned in a culturally and linguistically diverse community. New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Hepworth Berger, E., & Riojas-Cortez, M. (2014). Parents as partners in education: Families and schools working together. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
  • Hertzberg, M. (2012). Teaching English language learners in mainstream classes. Newtown, Australia: PETAA.
  • McNaughton, S. (2011). Designing better schools for culturally and linguistically diverse children: A science of performance model for research. New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Mistry, M., & Sood, S. (2015). English as an additional language in the early years; Linking theory to practice. New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Mourao, S., & Lourenco, M. (Eds.). Early years second language education: International perspectives on theory and practice. New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Murphy, E. (Ed.). (2011). Welcoming linguistic diversity in early childhood classrooms: Learning from international schools. New York, NY: Multilingual Matters.
  • Papatheodorou, T., & Moyles, J. (Eds.). (2012). Cross-cultural perspectives on early childhood. London, United Kingdom: Sage.

Journal References

  • Journal of Early Childhood Literacy
  • Early Childhood Research and Practice
  • Australasian Journal of Early Childhood (AJEC)
  • English in Australia
  • TESOL in Context

Website References

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

LAN4160|1|1

School: Education

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Supporting Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Early Childhood

  • Unit Code

    LAN4160

  • Year

    2016

  • Enrolment Period

    2

  • Version

    1

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus

Description

This unit provides pre-service teachers with the knowledge, skills and understanding important to working with children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds. It explores the ideas of culture, cultural competence, multiculturalism, intercultural relationships, language and dialect and considers ways in which early childhood educators can establish educational contexts that are responsive to the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of children and their families. The importance of effective collaboration with CaLD families is emphasised and ways to achieve this are examined. The unit looks at the theories and research about supporting home languages and learning English as an additional language or dialect as well as effective teaching practices.

Prerequisite Rule

Enrolment in this elective requires that students have completed and passed the following units: LAN1265: English 1: Oral Communication LAN2266: English 2: Literacy learning in the early years LAN3246: English 3: Literacy in the junior primary years of school LAN3260: English 4: Planning and differentiating the English curriculum in early childhood

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Articulate an understanding of culture, cultural competence and multiculturalism and of the importance of each child's cultural and linguistic identity.
  2. Know how to create early childhood learning contexts that reflect and value the cultural and linguistic diversity of children and their families.
  3. Articulate an understanding of language diversity in relation to home language, dialect, communication patterns and the construction of meaning.
  4. Demonstrate knowledge of strategies and practices for fostering the English language learning and development of CaLD children.
  5. Plan, implement and evaluate pedagogical practices that build on children's home and community languages.

Unit Content

  1. Culture: culture and identity, multiculturalism, cultural diversity, cultural competence.
  2. The social and cultural context of families and language development, sociolinguistics.
  3. Language diversity: language and dialect, standard Australian English, home language, diversity of communication patterns and types.
  4. Strategies for engaging, supporting and working in partnership with CaLD families and communities.
  5. Learning English as an additional language or dialect: factors affecting, theories, teaching / learning principles and teaching models and practices.
  6. Supporting homes and community languages.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lectures, workshops, professional inquiry.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentWritten paper50%
ParticipationProfessional Inquiry50%

Text References

  • Arthur, L., Ashton, J., & Beecher, B. (Eds.). (2014). Diverse literacies in early childhood: A social justice approach. Camberwell, Australia: ACER Press.
  • Chartock, R.K. (2010). Strategies and lessons for culturally responsive teaching: A primer for K-12 teachers. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
  • Ebbeck, M., & Waniganayake, M. (Eds.). (2010). Play in early childhood education: Learning in diverse contexts. South Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press.
  • Rodríguez-Brown, F.V. (2009). The home-school connection: Lessons learned in a culturally and linguistically diverse community. New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Hepworth Berger, E., & Riojas-Cortez, M. (2014). Parents as partners in education: Families and schools working together. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
  • Hertzberg, M. (2012). Teaching English language learners in mainstream classes. Newtown, Australia: PETAA.
  • McNaughton, S. (2011). Designing better schools for culturally and linguistically diverse children: A science of performance model for research. New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Mistry, M., & Sood, S. (2015). English as an additional language in the early years; Linking theory to practice. New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Mourao, S., & Lourenco, M. (Eds.). Early years second language education: International perspectives on theory and practice. New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Murphy, E. (Ed.). (2011). Welcoming linguistic diversity in early childhood classrooms: Learning from international schools. New York, NY: Multilingual Matters.
  • Papatheodorou, T., & Moyles, J. (Eds.). (2012). Cross-cultural perspectives on early childhood. London, United Kingdom: Sage.

Journal References

  • Journal of Early Childhood Literacy
  • Early Childhood Research and Practice
  • Australasian Journal of Early Childhood (AJEC)
  • English in Australia
  • TESOL in Context

Website References

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

LAN4160|1|2