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Romani children and their first language, Croatia

In this study, REYN Croatia analyzes the second language acquisition process and the effort it requires. In Croatia, some Roma speak Romani Chib while some use the Bayash Romanian language, and Croatian is spoken as the second language. The bilingual or multilingual skills of Romani children should be considered an added value rather than something to be repressed, even at home with family. Bilingual or multilingual children are often better at mastering new languages. Teachers should consider the effort made by Romani children in following classes led in Croatian and they should help them by teaching in an interactive way, giving Romani children the possibility to develop and improve their first language skills, giving value to their background using some words or phrases in the pupils’ mother tongue.

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