New titles have arrived at the OISE Library! Featured in this month’s New Titles are books on the topic of newcomers, bilingualism, and multiculturalism in education.
Over the Ocean by Taro Gomi
On a shore, a little girl stares off into the ocean. She wonders, “What is over the ocean? Could there be more ocean or maybe lots of ships?” Follow her imagination and curiosity about life across the ocean. Renowned children’s author and illustrator Taro Gomi invites young readers to celebrate imagination and wonder, and find joy in mystery far away.
The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan
“I count the things that matter. Chop, twist, toss, check. Chop, twist, toss, check. Two more pods make twenty-five total.”
In the cacao growing region of Ivory Coast, there lived two brothers, Amadou and Seydou, who worked long hours day and night. For two years, they’ve been counting the number of cacao pods to keep them safe from punishment.Only wanting to work during the dry season to make some money to help their family, the boys were tricked into forced labour on a plantation, harvesting beans under the hot sun. With little food and poor working conditions, the boys wonder if they’ll ever make it. As they work to pay off their debt, they long to return home and be reunited with Baba and Auntie. The only problem is they don’t know how much they owe and the boss won’t reveal that. With no hope of escape, the boys try their best to stay alive until Khadija arrives, the only girl ever to come to camp. She reminds Amadou what it means to be free, and tries to escape again and again. With Khadija’s defiance, the three band together to make one last attempt to escape. Find out what lies ahead in The Bitter Side of Sweet.
Translanguaging with Multilingual Students edited by Ofelia Garcia & Tatyana Kleyn
Translanguaging with Multilingual Students is based on work completed for the Graduate Centre of the City University of New York project on the education of emergent bilinguals that originated with, and is run by, educators and linguists at the Graduate Centre of the City University of New York (CUNY-NYSIEB). In the book, the editors define translanguaging as a concept on the language of bilinguals and the set of student behaviors and teaching approaches that follow from it, where bilingual is seen as having a single, or unitary, linguistic competence as opposed to a dual or bifurcated one. This book hopes to enlighten educators so that they can become effective at recognizing the social demands of treating two languages of emergent bilinguals as separated and, at the same, unitary. Written in three parts, the book extends theoretical understandings from psychology and sociolinguistics research to case studies from the CUNY-NYSIEB project and implications for policy and practice.
The Newcomer Student by Louise H. Kreuzer
The Newcomer Student is a field guide on resettlement of refugee and immigrant students into Westernized regions. From personal experiences, observations, and research, author Kreuzer discusses topics in English language learning (ELL) education. The guide delves into theories regarding second language acquisition that embodies current theoretical practice, and the cultural history of the immigrant journey. Detailed descriptions of many practical step-by-step activities, flowcharts, relevant quotes, graphic organizers, and student samples enhance the text. Readers are also introduced to instructional methods including academic vocabulary strategies, cooperative structures, the usefulness of visual cues, oral and written expression in storytelling, and textile manipulation. Educators working with different age-levels and experiences are provided a list of suggested multicultural books by world regions to support authentic learning. The Newcomer Student brings insight into the 21st Century classroom and newly arrived immigrant/refugee learners.
Multilingualism in the Early Years by Sandra Smidt
Drawing on current research, Multilingualism in the Early Years examines the political, theoretical, ideological, and practical issues involved in the education of children speaking two or more languages. Using case studies, Smidt draws on the the ways bilingual learners acquire new language(s). Revealing the impact of multilingualism, the book studies what it means to be bilingual and how it shapes children’s educational and life changes. The book consists of four sections that take the reader from personal to formal setting. They are “the bilingual child in the home and family” (section 1), “from the home and local community to the classroom or setting” (section 2), “supporting children in classes and settings to learn and remain attached to their languages and cultures” (section 3), and “moving from the personal to the public” (section 4). Educators, parents, researchers, policy makers, and community members are invited to embrace the richness of language, culture, and identity to achieve an education system that fits all.
For more titles on bilingual and multicultural education in the OISE Library Collection, please visit the OISE New Titles shelf on the ground floor of the OISE Library and the OISE Library catalogue for additional education resources. Happy reading!
