Page 8 - Native Languages 9-10 (1999)

THE PROGRAM IN NATIVE LANGUAGES 7
The requirements for grammar, language conventions, and vocabulary are listed for each course in a section following the Writing strand. The specific skills and knowledge in these areas should be developed in the context of oral communication, reading, and writing activities.
Oral Communication. The new Ontario Native languages curriculum places a strong emphasis on helping students develop oral communication skills in order to understand and interact with others, to express themselves clearly and with confidence, and to use various media to communicate their own ideas. Development of oral language provides the foundation that enables students to learn to read and write. Because listening and speaking are inseparable in real-life situations, these skills should be developed together in the classroom.
Students should have numerous opportunities to use a Native language for real purposes and in real situations, for example:
– listening to a Native language spoken by live and recorded voices, by people of different ages, speaking at different rates and in different dialects;
– discussing subject matter, reading materials, personal concerns, and interests;
– preparing and giving oral presentations;
– playing roles in dramatizations and simulations;
– conducting surveys and interviews.
Reading. Reading in a Native language is a complex process that provides a bridge between speech and writing. In learning to read texts, students build on the knowledge and skills developed through oral communication in order to understand and respond to written materials. Reading skills and knowledge should be developed after language has been introduced orally in a meaningful context that encourages students to think about what they are reading. Oral pre-reading activities build a bank of vocabulary, set the context for the topic, and relate texts to the students’ experience or prior knowledge of a topic. These oral activities play an impor- tant role in making written texts accessible to students.
A well-balanced reading program will provide students with opportunities to read for comprehension, consolidation of language learned orally, vocabulary building, information, and enjoyment. By reading aloud, students practise correct pronunciation and intonation.
Students need to read a variety of materials representing different forms, genres, and styles,
in particular the works of Native authors, and these materials must be appropriate to students’ age, interest, and level of proficiency in a Native language. Materials should include signs, charts, menus, song lyrics, legends, poems, books, and selections from magazines, newspapers, and electronic sources.
Students will be using all the basic reading strategies (e.g., visual and verbal cues, information from context, and knowledge of language patterns, conventions, and structures) to help them understand written texts.
Although the lists of expectations might suggest that the skills involved in reading are discrete skills, they are, in fact, aspects of an integrated process that is best applied in a context that students see as meaningful and that encourages them to think about what they are reading.
The lack of Native-language materials at present creates serious problems for the development of reading skills. Teachers, therefore, must be prepared to be innovative in creating materials, making use of available resources and adapting materials at hand for a variety of purposes. Teachers are also encouraged to share materials whenever possible.