Printed texts

The use and understanding of the printed word can also cause great difficulties for bilingual learners. Technical vocabulary clearly needs clarification, but fictional texts might cause problems for even fluent readers. Such a reader may have no difficulty with literal understanding, but when faced with vocabulary with multiple meanings, such as ‘bitter’ to the taste and ‘bitter’, a feeling about something or someone, it can cause a complete breakdown of understanding. Also, if a story mentions black cats and big black, steaming cauldrons, bilingual learners may well not have the past experience to enable them to really grasp the meaning of the words and thus the story. This will apply to all curriculum subjects; for example, bilingual learners may not be able to immediately engage in work unsupported, about ‘molten rocks’ due to a lack of conceptual knowledge of the word ‘molten’. In these incidences teachers need to make the connection between experience and learning for them. In this way, concepts as well as vocabulary can be built.