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Language teaching and learning

A large majority of supplementary schools teach their communities' language or languages. In fact, approximately 300 languages are taught every week in supplementary schools.

Learning their mother tongues helps children build their identities and a sense of belonging, which helps them learn English and grow up as a citizens of a multicultural country. The National Language Strategy – Languages for all: languages for life states:

‘... the ability to understand and communicate in other languages is increasingly important in our society and in the global economy. Languages contribute to the cultural and linguistic richness of our society, to personal fulfilment, mutual understanding, commercial success and international trade and global citizenship'.

Being bi- or plurilingual has now been widely recognised as an invaluable asset for young people’s personal, as well as professional lives.

This is comprehensively described in CiLT’s Positively plurilingual manifesto, which highlights the value of bi- and plurilingualism for children’s identities and achievement, as well as for their future career prospects.

Supplementary schools have a clear contribution to make to building children’s language skills and cultural understanding. The Dearing review (2007) therefore recommends that schools should work more closely with supplementary schools, and that primary and secondary schools should endeavour to support and recognise the achievements of their pupils in supplementary schools.

In addition to their work outside school hours, supplementary schools can also be brought into the classroom to support the delivery of cultural and language awareness sessions, as well as language lessons at Key Stage 2, for example.