--- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@...>
wrote:

> suzmccarth wrote:
> >
> > --- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, "Ph. D." <phild@...> wrote:
> > > Could we drop this thread?
> >
> > I think we should. I accidently confused Tifinagh, the script,

with

> > Tamazight, the language, much to my regret.
> >
> > I am really only interested in how Tifinagh is slowly being
> > standardized as its functions and uses are being extended. Often
> > minority scripts have various different forms and resist
> > standardization. I am curious to see whether the Neo-Tifinagh
> > script will achieve widespread use among Tamazight speakers, of

whom

> > I understand there are many.
> >
> > There are apparently families who speak Tamazight as their first
> > language in the home here in Vncouver. I wonder what their first
> > language of literacy would be and what script they would be most
> > familiar with.
>
> English and roman respectively.

--- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@...>
wrote:

> suzmccarth wrote:

> > There are apparently families who speak Tamazight as their first
> > language in the home here in Vncouver. I wonder what their first
> > language of literacy would be and what script they would be most
> > familiar with.
>
> English and roman respectively.

I teach children who have recently arrived in Canada and are now in
grades 4 - 7. We hope that these children already have a first
language of literacy. However, for many the language that they have
learned to read is not the language that they speak in the home.
For most English is their third language.

I would guess that the Tamazigh children from North Africa have
learned to read in Arabic. However, their knowledge of Arabic will
not be complete, although possibly their father speaks to them in
Arabic. We have many student who come from dual language homes
(neither of these English) These children can have real difficulties
going into high school.

It is also very difficult to administer first language literacy
assessments to children who speak one language and read another.
However, this often happens.

Suzanne McCarthy