ELIA XISeville March 2010

Language and literacy in faith settings and

their relationship to the school setting

Eve Gregory, John Jessel, Malgosia Woodham

Goldsmiths University of London

Professor Eve Gregory, Dr John Jessel, Dr Charmian Kenner, Dr Vally Lytra, Mahera Ruby

Halimun Choudhury (Bangladeshi Muslim), Arani Ilankuberan, (Tamil Hindu), Amoafi Kwapong (Ghanaian Pentecostal), Malgosia Woodham ( Polish Catholic)

Research QuestionsWhat is the scope and nature of literacy practices

in each faith setting?

How do teaching and learning take place during faith literacy activities across different settings?

In what ways have faith literacies changed over time and in the London setting and how are

these changes perceived across generations?

How does participation in faith literacies contribute to individual and collective identities?

Literacy learning inside and outside of school

How do children learn as part of their community?

What do we mean by literacy?

Faith settingsExamples: church, mosque, temple

Religious instruction classesClubs / sport / music / drama

Cultural activities

The faiths we are looking at:

Why have we selected these faiths?

Bangladeshi MuslimTamil Hindu

West African PentecostalistPolish Catholic

Theoretical framework

Learning as a sociocultural phenomenon

Three dimensions: sociohistorical, interpersonal, interpersonal

Literacy learning as a series of cultural practices rather than confined

to a set of skills

LiteracySymbolismMetaphor

Story telling and re-tellingPerforming and recitation

How is language exchanged and transformed?

SymbolsWhat characterises symbols?

Symbols and symbolic objects as ‘anchor points’

Symbolic actions and activities

The narratives that develop around symbols

Research methodologyPhase 1: Ethnographic observations in faith settings

Interviews with faith leaders Attendance at religious services and classes

Phase 2: Case-studies of faith literacy activities

Audio or video recordings of faith literacy events (focus child in faith setting and home)

Interviews with children / teachers / relatives

Phase 3: Children will interview the older people They will prepare a book together

Phase 4: Interviews with children Discussions with faith setting leaders

Polish Catholic Church and Community CentreSouth Norwood, South East London

The Polish Faith Setting

Polish Community School Polish Parish house

The Polish Faith Setting Polish Catholic Chapel and the Parish Hall

The Polish faith setting: activities

Saturday school 9.30am -1.00pmFolk Dance Group “Karolinka”

Cubs and Scouts groups“Ave Verum” Choir for adults

Salsa Club for adultsFlower Arranging Club

Seniors ClubLadies’ Club

Mothers and Toddlers Group

The community schoolIts role in relation to the role of the church

The aims of the school

The pupils

The teachers

Symbolism in the surroundings

Symbols – the school walls

Religious and historical symbols – a child’s notes

Symbolism in church

Tabernacle

where the remains of any blessed and consecrated hosts (communion wafers) are stored

Missal (the liturgical book)

Chalice (communion cup)

which holds the wine that will become the blood of Christ in the celebration of the Eucharist

Learning about and through symbols in religious classes

Examples of symbolism …

Learning about and through symbols in religious classes

The teacher draws a person with a halo over their head and elicits the word “aureola”

(“halo”).

T: ‘when there is light we can see everything, a saint is someone

who lives close to Light, which is God’

Learning about symbols in religious classes

A class of 5-6 year olds

The teacher draws a heart on the whiteboard

Child: To nie jest serce

This is not a heart

T: To jest symbol serca. Jak to narysujemy, to wiemy, ze to jest symbol serca. Co to jest?

This is a symbol of the heart. When we draw it we know that this is a symbol of the heart. What is it?

Children: Symbol

T: Symbol

…and narrative

Aniolek 1:

Pali sie! Pali! Swiatlo z oblokow!

O, jaka luna! O jaka zorza!

Aniolek 2:

Swieta Panienka, swieta Panienka

Urodzila syna!

Aniolek 3:

Chrystus sie rodzi!

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Dzieci (nad zlobkiem Jezusa):

My Jezuniu, dzieci jestesmy, podarkow nie mamy

Serca nasze przynosimy

Przy zlobku skladamy (dzieci skladaja serduszka przy

zlobku)

Angel 1

Fire! Fire! Light from the skies

Oh, what a glow, what an aurora

Angel 2

Holy Maiden, Holy Maiden

Has had a child!

Angel 3:

Jesus is born!

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Children (standing over Jesus’ crib):

We are children, Jesus , we have no gifts

We bring our hearts

And lay them by the crib (children lay hearts by the crib)

Przybiezeli do Betlejem pasterze

Grajac skocznie dzieciateczku na lirze

Ref. x 2

Chwala na wysokosci,

chwala na wysokosci

A pokoj na ziemi

 Oddawali swe uklony w pokorze

Tobie z serca ochotnego, o Boze

Chwala na wysokosci,

chwala na wysokosci

A pokoj na ziemi

 Aniol Panski sam oglosil te dziwy,

Ktorych oni nieslyszeli, jak zywi

Chwala na wysokosci,

chwala na wysokosci

A pokoj na ziemi

To Bethlehem shepherds came

Playing the lyre for the child

Hail the Lord

Hail the Lord

And peace be on earth

 They bowed to the Lord

In humility

Hail the Lord

Hail the Lord

And peace be on earth

 The Archangel himself spread the news

Which wasn’t heard before

Hail the Lord

Hail the Lord

And peace be on earth

Implications for teachers and classrooms

Recognise bi/multilingualism in children’s lives

Respect ‘funds of knowledge’ (culture and history) of children and their families

Build upon this through recognition of the artefacts, symbols and narratives in

children’s lives outside school

Contact:

Prof Eve Gregory e.gregory@gold.ac.uk

Dr John Jessel j.jessel@gold.ac.uk

Malgosia Woodham m.woodham@gold.ac.uk

Department of Educational Studies

Goldsmiths College University of London

New Cross

London

SE14 6NW