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View Full Version : Contract signed but language is a huge problem...



Tinglesnark
31-08-2010, 11:47 AM
You may have noticed me mentioning that I am signing up a Lithuanian child. His mother old me he had some English but in fact he has none! It was incredibly difficult to get her to understand the finer points of the contract and she didn't get why she had to give me a cheque before he started. I gave up in the end and just told her to make sure that I had the cheque on Monday at pick up.

I feel uneasy .... I hope this works out better than the last one! She seems astounded by the paperwork and fees (£12.50 a day after school and considering that he's at mine till 7pm I think she's got off lightly!)

any advice folks?

How to proceed?

I've got him tomorrow for a settling in session so in hoping that he will find the courage to speak a few more words in English - fingers crossed he was just embarrassed to speak it in front of his mum....

Apart from that, they are both lovely! I'm just hoping that it works well and that I can help this lad settle. He is understandably scared and that's making him stroppy from what I can tell...

Ooer hope I won't regret this!

theplayroom
31-08-2010, 01:37 PM
Hi last school year i worked with a boy (6) who had no english (neither did the parents) At first he was very very shy, crying etc but by the end of the first week he had picked up a few words by the end of the school year he could understand every thing and speak really good english, to help him we all learnt a few basic words of his language, hello, toilet, lunch time etc and ensured everything around the room was labeled with pictures and of course a lovely visual timetable of the days events!

As for the parents have you tries finding a translater or getting the contract translated??

Good luck i hope this helps!

Sally

~Chelle~
31-08-2010, 02:30 PM
£12.50!!! :eek: I have a little boy for 2 and half hours after school and charge £15.00 for him! She has got a very good deal if you ask me.

I can always lend you Jack for a few hours tomorrow and see if the boy would talk to him lol!

Seriously, if you wanna meet up at the park and see if playing a game of footie will bring him out of himself, then let me know.

I would definately pick up a language book or look on google and write down some words that he will recognise for certain things like lunch, food items, garden, games etc, written in Lithuanian and English so that he can let you know what he wants and you can also ask him questions with them.

Poor kid, it is gonna be hard for him to be in an environment that he doesn't know with another language. Good luck hun x

ChocolateChip
31-08-2010, 02:38 PM
Could your council, d/o or early years team point you in the direction of a translation service, we have one here called Esol, not sure if it's everywhere though.