Dual language texts for Pasifika bilingual children

Abstract

This presentation reports on a New Zealand Ministry of Education pilot project titled: Supporting New Entrant Pasifika Children into English Medium Schooling. The purpose of the project was to promote academic success for new entrant Pasifika children at the beginning of their schooling, by utilising their linguistic and family/cultural funds of knowledge to support their English language literacy development at school. Implementation of the pilot involved three aspects: • Development of the dual language emergent reading books in the Samoan and English languages for new entrant children • Development of teacher support materials and provision of professional learning and development which supports teachers to both value the language skills that Pasifika students bring with them as a key foundation and linguistic resource for English language literacy, and to utilise culturally responsive pedagogical approaches in their teaching and learning programmes. • Development of support material for parents and families, and provision of facilitated ‘fono’ (meetings) for Samoan parents, supporting parents to understand the benefits of using their first/home language with their children and, guidance on early literacy and language learning strategies. The enactment of linguistically and culturally responsive practices in English-medium classrooms will be described by drawing on the stories of teachers involved in the pilot. The impact of the utilisation of dual language texts in English-medium classrooms will also be explained and validated through the voices of the teachers, parents and children who participated in the pilot.