In the Mill Creek Ravine of Edmonton, a special cultural celebration took place the first week of March 2021. The Flying Canoë Volant is a festival inspired by a tale that highlights cultures of the French Canadians, Métis, and First Nations. This tale is the story of woodcutters that wanted to visit their loved ones. The only way they could see them in their far away location and be back the next day for work was to fly on a canoe. They made a deal with the devil for a magical flying canoe, but in return they could not swear or touch the cross of church steeples along the way. Will they make it back home…? You can find out by reading a version of this tale, La Chasse-galerie, written by Honoré Beaugrand in 1892. Several Multilingual Families Lab members joined this celebration of local history and cultures in an enchanted winter environment where safety measures were a priority.
Le Guide du Programme StimuLER
C’est avec plaisir qu’on partage notre Guide du Programme StimuLER: Un programme communautaire de soutien au développement langagier des enfants réfugiés ou nouveau arrivants.
Le programme de Stimulation langagière pour les enfants réfugiés (StimuLER) a été initié en 2015 par Dre. Andrea MacLeod et Mme Sabah Meziane, orthophoniste aux études doctorales, dans le but de répondre aux besoins des enfants réfugiés et nouveaux arrivants. Il est important d’intégrer les deux langues de l’enfant pour enrichir à la fois la langue maternelle et la langue seconde et ainsi réduire les risques de perte de la langue maternelle, ainsi que les conséquences négatives qui en découlent.
C’est avec grand plaisir que nous partageons ce guide libre d’accès!
AM
Multilingual Families Lab celebrates #MotherTongueDay
#MotherTongueDay celebrates cultural and linguistic diversity to build toward sustainable societies. At the @MultilingFamLab, we are committed to supporting the mother tongue(s), or first language(s) of multilingual families. Around the world, about 40% of children do not have access to an education in a language they speak or understand. Early education in the mother tongue is especially important to avoid knowledge gaps – it provides children with a more equitable start to their education.
Our work with multilingual families in Canada has highlighted that while many parents are strongly invested in their child’s education, they encounter challenges directly supporting their child because of language barriers between home and school (e.g., MacLeod, Meziane & Pesco, 2020). For the past 5 years, we have developed and implemented dual-language groups that focus on the home languages and introduce the language that will be used in school. Creating a space outside the home for the mother tongue signals that this language is valuable. By using the mother tongue in a group setting parents are empowered as language experts and included in the activities. Through these groups, we can also counter the belief that maintaining your mother tongue can interfere with learning the language used at school.
Your mother tongue is a powerful connection to your family, culture, and community. Supporting families in maintaining this connection is essential as we build toward a sustainable Canada.
AM
La communication des enfants durant la COVID-19
C’était un plaisir de présenter au Campus St-Jean dans le contexte du panel sur Les effets négatifs de la COVID-19. Le Lab des Familles Multilingues a mené une enquête sur la communication des enfants durant la COVID-19.
Certains parents parents observent une croissance dans le langage de leurs enfants en lien avec l’attention 1 sur 1. Certains parents expriment que passer plus de temps en famille est agréable autant pour eux que pour les enfants.
La période de COVID-19 a fortement impacté les relations des enfants avec leurs ami.e.s d’école. Ils n’ont en majorité plus de relation avec leur pairs. Un besoin critique pour les parents et les tuteurs.trices est d’avoir plus de réunions et de formation avec les clinicien.ne.s et les enseignant.e.s. Pour les parents et les tuteurs.trices, savoir quels jouets utiliser ou adapter pendant la pandémie est un défi. Les enfants peuvent ressentir beaucoup d’émotions et ne pas savoir comment en parler.
Au sujet des masques et la communication précoce, nous partageons quelques astuces: Il est important d’attirer l’attention de l’autre, de parler plus fort, plus lentement, avec des phrases courtes et avec une intonation exagérée. Ainsi qu’utiliser des gestes et exagérer les expressions – surtout autour des yeux! De plus, il est important d’encourager et soutenir la communication à la maison.
Ressource francophone – OOAQ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP-aK5jUiqM
Nous avons développé une série de 4 infographies pour les parents qui décrivent des astuces, des suggestions, et des conseils. Suite aux réponses sur le questionnaire les thèmes portaient sur la communication, le jeu, et la santé mental. Ils sont disponibles en français, anglais et espagnol gratuitement sur notre site web de notre labo MFL et sur le site ERA de l’University of Alberta.
Dual-Language Stimulation in YEG during COVID
As three MSc-SLP students, McCleary, White & Piquette, began their capstone research project in 2019, the goal was to complete an environmental scan of needs for a dual-language stimulation approach in Edmonton and, if needs existed, pilot the program. They found that a need existed and, together with Dr. MacLeod, we developed a partnership with the ABC HeadStart Society. We implemented our StimuLER program. StimuLER is a dual-language stimulation program established in Montréal that aims to to support children in developing their first and second language (MacLeod, Meziane & Pesco, 2020).
The current research study sought to evaluate the implementation of the StimuLER program in partnership with a community-based early childhood intervention program during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of COVID-19, families experienced unprecedented challenges when trying to access early intervention services for their child. Two objectives were identified: (1) Provide recommendations on the implementation of StimuLER sessions in accordance with COVID-19 protocols; (2) explore parent perspectives on early intervention programming during COVID-19 to inform the delivery of future StimuLER sessions.
Through the partnership with the community organization, we delivered four one-hour StimuLER sessions. A formative evaluation of the StimuLER program was conducted in addition to a thematic analysis of parent responses from semi-structured interviews. Parents completed a 30-minute interview; questions pertained to language development and pandemic-related changes to early intervention services (n=8).
Through formative evaluation, we learned more on how to deliver sessions through modifying session activities and being responsive to changing protocols. The thematic analysis on parent perspectives found that families experienced both challenges and unexpected benefits as a result of the pandemic. The formative evaluation provides recommendations on how to deliver StimuLER sessions in accordance with evolving public health restrictions. The wide range in parent perspectives indicates that program providers should provide mixed-delivery of sessions in order to cater to unique community needs. Further research is required to investigate a mixed-method delivery of StimuLER sessions.
DM, EW, JP & AM
Multilingual Families Lab Familles Multilingues 