Nationality:
All Pasifika, 4 Samoans and 1 Tongan.
Residency status:
All migrants, 4 permanent residents and 1 on temporary entrance (parents on working visa).
Previous schools:
All had their primary schools in the islands before they moved to NZ and all started at primary level when 5 years old. The four from Samoa were in primary school from year 1 through to 8 at primary context and then left for NZ. The 1 from Tonga had primary school from year 1 through to 6, then to high school for 2 years before leaving Tonga.
Exposure to English in the islands:
All had English as a subject offered at schools, so their exposure to English started in the islands before leaving for NZ. However, their first languages were predominantly used at schools, so their learning of English was very much confined to English periods. They were exposed to English in some other ways - TV, radio, visitors to school - but still very limited. English was not used at home.
Duration of time in NZ:
They entered NZ at different points of time, so their exposure and use of English vary. The graph below displays that.
Home Background in NZ
The 4 Samoans are all adopted by relatives here in NZ so they can come and study. Their real parents are back in the island, and literally their adopted relatives are their 'parents' now. They still have some contacts with parents in Samoa but limited. The one from Tonga is with her real parents here, but on a temporary working visa.
Three come from a bit overcrowding homes - 12 living together, the other with fewer living together. They all have comfortable places to study, no or few books, no bilingual dictionaries, no access to library. They all have access to internet at home. They all do chores at home after school and sometimes too tired to do any homework.
Some of the adopted ones struggle because they miss their real parents in the islands. They become emotional when they can't share their ideas and feelings with those at home. They are sometimes under-pressured at home. The one with the real parents is OK.
Languages in NZ:
All learners speak and write in their first languages and now learning English as their second language. Their parents here also speak their first languages well with very limited English. Therefore they mainly use their first languages at home, and English is also used but limited among children.
Community Involvement
All are affiliated to a church in NZ and they are highly involved in their churches. They do not affiliate to any other community group, except their involvement in sports as extra-curricular at school.
Education & school in NZ
All have very limited knowledge of the education system in NZ. Some have aspirations of what they want to do in the future and they say that their parents support them with that, and some are still not sure.
They like it here at the college. Two were in other school when they arrived last year and they didn't quite like it there. They like our homeroom, and they feel safe when they are with other ELLs at school.
They are sometimes conscious of their status as ELLs at school and how other students might view them because of their English.
Conclusion:
I do believe these student backgrounds have implications on the way these ELLs learn English as a second language as well as their overall engagement on learning at school. I am interested to learn more about their relationships and how to take actions to help these learners.
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