Reading Comprehension in English for Samoan Bilingual Students in Samoan Classes

Abstract

ABSTRA CT: This article plots patterns of reading comprehension in a group of Samoan students in bilingual classrooms in New Zealand; a group we know very little about in terms of patterns of development and learning in the middle to upper primary school years in either English (L2) or Samoan (L1). We found that for Samoan bilingual students there is an achievement lag from Years 4 and 5 which is reversed at Year 6} and evidence for progressing above their mainstream counterparts at Years 7 and 8. We argue that this developmental pattern in L2 for students in a bilingual context might be due to the simultaneous development of two languages (L1 and L2)} thus giving bilingual students different degrees of negotiation in both languages and the extent to which they understand and use both for comprehension.