Multilingualism – Ability of a person to speak in a language other than their native language with a degree of fluency (Gordon & browne, 2004)

Simultaneous acquisition happens when a child is exposeed to two languages from birth.

Successive acquisition occurs as a child with one language now enters the world of a second language.

Multilingualism development:

• The preproduction or silent stageL respond to language by listening to or “take in”
• Early production stage have limited vocalization and growing comprehension
• Expansion of production stage increased comprehension and the ability to speak simple sentences

Teacher’s role:

• Understand the whole child
• Appreciate the countless ways in which children learn and do not rely on a set curriculum for teaching oral language or literacy
• Be sensitive and encourage the child to communicate in his own way during social interaction with other children
• Involve their parents in activities and understand the different learning styles each child may have

Guidelines for teaching children who speak other langugages:

• Understand how children learn a second language
• Make a plan for the use of the two languages
• Accept individual differences
• Support children’s attempts to communicated
• Maintain an additive philosophy
• Provide a stimulating, active and diverse environment
• Use informal observations to guide the planning of activities
• Find out about the family
• Provide accepting classroom climate

Multiliteracies is a multiple form of knowledge including prints, images, videos, combination forms in digital context.