Immigrant pupils and the academic challenge of language

Abstract

Malta is a new host country presently seeing the children of new immigrants in the primary school. This research explores the support available for teachers in educating immigrant pupils and how pupils with different immigrant backgrounds are supported in the learning of English and Maltese, especially when they have no prior knowledge of either language upon entering school. It also explores classroom interaction, including adapted work as well as the effect of parental language resources on the immigrant pupils’ additional language learning. Qualitative research was conducted through participant observation in three early year classrooms, conversations with eight newcomer non-national pupils and interviews with five parents and three class teachers in one primary school. This study has found that teachers are not receiving adequate support, with neither training nor resources to utilize in multilingual classrooms. It is at the teachers’ discretion, with their biographical baggage, to find different resources to meet the needs of immigrant pupils, resulting in differences amongst teachers in ability or willingness to support immigrants. The immigrants in this study had different immigrant status, being either from the EU or third country nationals. They also differed in terms of their language fluency in English, with parents having some English being more able to support their children’s English learning. Children’s access to Maltese relied on other relatives or family friends. Joining school at an early age is more advantageous than entry at a later stage. Parents considered that learning the two official languages was more important than instruction in their mother tongue.