Mother Tongue-based Literacy Programmes: Case Studies of Good ...

Kam Language Education Teaching Plan and MethodsPilot project organizers decided upon an instructional methodology that takes into account anappropriate balance between learning activities that focus on meaning and communication and thosethat focus on correctness and accuracy: a two-track Multi-Strategy Method (see “Contents of Curriculumand Materials” above).In the Story Track, the teacher’s role is to provide a good model of reading and writing for the childrento imitate. She/he encourages the children to read and write and be creative without calling attentionto “mistakes” the learners may make in their attempts.In the Word-Building Track, the teacher’s role is to demonstrate correct ways of combining letters intowords, and words into sentences. Here the teacheremphasizes accuracy, correcting the children’smistakes immediately, but in an encouraging way,always praising them for their successes.The purpose of the two-track approach to mothertongue literacy is to awaken the children’s creativity,especially in their writing ability, and provide themwith confidence in their learning so that they will bewell prepared to bridge into Chinese language andliteracy in grades 1 to 3.Networking with OtherOrganizationsEthnic minority communities are frequently underresourcedand need help from outside if their goals oflanguage and cultural maintenance, along with goodqualitybilingual education for their children, are to beachieved.© Gloria ChanStory Track, in which the childrenparticipate in reading a “Big Book”cultural storyAs in most successful ethnic minority bilingualeducation projects in other parts of the world, thelocal Kam community collaborates with several otheragencies and organizations in order to implementtheir educational programme. SIL International, anon-government organization (NGO) that works inlanguage development among minority languagecommunities in over 60 countries around the world,provided technical support for developing theeducational capacity of the Kam language. Normanand Ruth Geary have been SIL International technical© Gloria ChanWord-Building Track, in which thechildren learn the parts of the Kamword liogc[ 85 ]