Editor: Viv Edwards (University of Reading, UK)
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Volume: 18 Number: 2 Page: 124–144
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Finding the Keys to Biliteracy: How Young Children Interpret Different Writing Systems
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Charmian Kenner, Gunther Kress, Hayat Al-Khatib, Roy Kam and Kuan-Chun Tsai
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This paper discusses ways in which young bilingual children understand the principles underlying different writing systems. Six case studies were conducted, involving six-year-olds growing up in London
who were learning to write in Chinese, Arabic or Spanish at the same time as English. The children's formal and informal literacy interactions were observed at home, community language school and primary
school. Peer teaching sessions were also set up so that children could demonstrate their ideas about Chinese, Arabic or Spanish to primary school classmates. Findings show that these young emergent biliterates
were able to grasp concepts from different systems, by producing their own interpretations of the input provided by teachers and family. A discussion follows as to whether such understandings were heightened
by dealing with more than one writing system, and whether the research points to a more general propensity amongst young children to look for the principles involved in graphic representation. Finally,
the paper argues that mainstream educators need to recognise the cognitive gains for minority-language children who are becoming biliterate and offer support for this important area of learning.
Keywords: YOUNG CHILDREN, SCRIPT, ARABIC, BILITERACY, CHINESE, SPANISH
© Multilingual Matters 2004
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