scholarly journals Social injustice in learning of the second language among immigrant children in Finland: conventional narratives and perceptions

2021 ◽  
pp. 82-100
Author(s):  
Frank Ojwang
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Education Policy ◽  
Primary School ◽  
International Schools ◽  
National Language ◽  
School Level ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Official Language ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Host Countries

This is a comparative ethnographic research, comparing the primary school level migrant learners’ performance in the learning of the national language of the host countries in Finland and Tanzania. A response from nine teachers, drawn from Tanzanian International Schools, attended by expats’ children, was collected through structured interviews. Additionally, two In-Depth Interviews, targeting Tanzanian Swahili teachers at the international schools, was conducted using the narration approach. The study uses MAXQDA to comparatively analyze the findings of fourteen research articles on immigrant pupils’ learning challenges of the Finnish language as a second language in Finland, and gathered information from this study’s survey is used to analyze the use of Kiswahili as a second language in Tanzania. The research focuses on a comparative analysis of the learning and use of official languages of the host countries as second languages, used in facilitating learning among primary school learners. In Finland, the official language analyzed is Finnish, whereas in Tanzania, the official language analyzed is Kiswahili. The International schools in Tanzania offer Kiswahili lessons to all learners in primary school as guided by national education policy, whereas all public and international schools in Finland offer Finnish lessons for all learners under the education policy. The responses in both Finland and Tanzania are deconstructed qualitatively to illuminate the similarities and differences between European migrant learners and African migrant learners using a second language for learning, and to further deconstruct the nuanced epistemological injustice against minorities. The theories in this research are derived using the grounded theory approach.

scholarly journals Effects of Child Abuse on the Academic Performance of Primary School Learners in the Manzini Region, Swaziland

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Lungile Dlamini ◽  
Davison Makondo
Keyword(s):  
Child Abuse ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Primary School ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Target Population ◽  
School Level ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Grassroots Level ◽  
Primary School Level

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of child abuse on the academic performance of primaryschool learners in the Manzini Region of Swaziland. The study was qualitative in nature and utilised thephenomenological research design. The target population were the abused learners from the Manzini primary schools.Data were collected from 15 abused learners and their class teachers in four schools. The critical case purposivesampling method was used to select these schools. Thus, only those schools that had abused learners wereselected.Semi-structured interviews focus group discussion and document analysis were used to collect data. Thefindings showed that a majority of the abused learners underperformed as a result of abuse andbecame suspiciousofevery person around them and this had a negative bearing to their academic performance. Some became antisocialand adopted a misdirected rancorous attitude to everyone around them. Thus in the main, the study concludes thatchild abuse affects the academic performance of learners at primary school level. Based on the findings, the studyrecommends that the stakeholders; parents, school administrators and teachers included, should work hand-in-hand inhandling abused learners in order to help them overcome their challenges and improve theiracademic performance andsocial life. In addition to that, the relevant ministries (Police, Child and Social Welfare and the Ministry of Educationand Training) should assist in curbing child abuse at grassroots level.

scholarly journals Challenges and Strategies of University Students in English-medium Instruction (EMI) Classes: A case study

2021 ◽  
pp. 9-25
Author(s):  
Kamran Akhtar Siddiqui ◽  
Hassan Syed ◽  
Zafarullah Sahito
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
English Language ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
National Language ◽  
School Level ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
English Medium Instruction ◽  
Continuous Use

English language has grown to be a lingua franca of the present day world. Therefore, even non- English European and Asian countries have adopted English as a medium of instruction. English has continuously been the medium of instruction in the higher education of Pakistan in spite of having a great linguistic diversity and national language Urdu as the medium of instruction at school level. This study aims to explore the perceptions of undergraduates about EMI, challenges they face in EMI classrooms and solutions they suggest for mitigation of their issues. The qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews reveals that students perceive EMI to be beneficial for higher education, employment and progressive thought. However, they face challenges related to teachers’ English proficiency, code-switching, vocabulary and receptive as well as productive skills. They suggest that English-proficient instructors, continuous use of English, language support from university can help them overcome these challenges effectively.

scholarly journals THE ROLE OF MULTILINGUALISM IN INFLUENCING STUDENTS’ ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION IN AN OUTSKIRT MALAYSIAN PRIMARY SCHOOL

2019 ◽  
pp. 97-110
Author(s):  
Siti Norain Duka ◽  
Azlina Abdul Aziz
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
National Language ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
National Unity ◽  
Third Language ◽  
Spoken English

Malaysia, as a multilingual country, sets a platform for language learning. Bahasa Malaysia is a language for national unity and English is the second language and other languages as the third language. A child may speak a native language at home, speak the local national language at school and also learn at least a foreign language. The fluency of our second or third language may not be as fluent as the first language. As a result, many studies have been conducted about the learners’ mother tongue and the code-switching process. However, a study for the English teachers to overcome the influence of the mother tongue in the Iban community towards their spoken English has not been located. Therefore, a qualitative case study has been conducted in order to provide the description of case-related individuals’ and give deeper understanding of the 1) multilingual learners’ perceptions toward their English spoken language, 2) exploring multilingual influences in their spoken English and 3) To examine the influence of other languages (Bahasa Malaysia and Iban language) towards English. The participants identified are Ibans from Year 3 primary students; that is located at the outskirt primary school in Kanowit in which they are learning standard Iban language, Bahasa Malaysia and English language at school. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews, and field notes (i.e. classroom observation). The findings were structured into themes: the frequency in communicating the three languages among the three pupils at school in a day, home language support in learning, peers’ influence in communicating the English language, learners’ effort towards learning English and the mental process in learning the language.

scholarly journals The hegemonic position of English as a medium of instruction at primary school level in KwaZulu-Natal, and its impact on parents' preferences of schooling for their children

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jeevarathanum Naidoo
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
School Level ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
English Second Language ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Primary School Level

This study is concerned with the choices parents of second language learners make with regard to the schooling of their children in respect of medium of instruction, and explores the reasons why parents choose to disregard education in their mother tongue in favour of English as a medium of instruction. This is contrary to the Language in Education Policy, as the Department of Education instils in principals, educators and parents the need for children at primary school level to be taught in their mother tongue. The theoretical framework used to address the problem was the Critical Language Approach, this being an appropriate position from which to investigate language and power. A combination of questionnaires, interviews and observation was used to acquire data from parents and management in a large primary school in KwaZulu-Natal. After analysis of the data, which confirmed the hegemonic position of English as influencing choice of medium of instruction by parents of English second language learners, a model was developed to assist them to see the possible consequences of various choices. The model comprised a tenpoint questionnaire to identify needs, a flow chart diagram resulting from the needs analysis, a pictograph to assist stakeholders to understand the relevant choices available, and workshops to support the choice of medium of instruction. The value of the research, it is thought, lies in clarifying the various influences at play, in particular, the hegemonic position of English, and offering stakeholders a rational, rather than political or emotional basis for the choice of medium of instruction for second language learners, as well as pointing out the possible consequences of such choices.

“Iraq Opportunities”: The New National Curriculum and Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Iraqi Primary Schools

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muna Mohammed Abbas
Keyword(s):  
Education Policy ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Curriculum Planning ◽  
School Level ◽  
The Government

In 2007-2008, a new official curriculum was promulgated through which English is introduced in Grade 3 of primary schooling (generally age 8) as it is one of primary education objectives and the government policy in Iraq. So, the present work aims to investigate some of the problems associated with the implementation of this new curriculum, its nature, an understanding of the curriculum principles and philosophies, and its constituents in the Iraqi contexts. Research on the curriculum planning process and curriculum analysis has not been conducted on the Iraqi English language curriculum before this. The present work gives a clear picture about the implementation, the nature of the curriculum, an understanding of the curriculum principles and philosophies, and its constituents in the Iraqi contexts. The work has three foci: the curriculum, the implementation and teaching and learning. The findings came from questionnaires and interviews with school teachers and supervisors’ .A questionnaire based survey of a sample of 100 primary school English teachers was conducted. It is concluded that (1) the implementation of official policy on the teaching of English in primary schools is fraught with problems evident at every stage in the process, from Education policy, through materials design to lesson planning and delivery;(2) the curriculum has problems at the level of understanding and implementation and this has led to the difficulty of conveying the philosophy of Iraq education to the primary school level.   Keywords - curriculum implementation, Education policy, EFL, education philosophy, syllabus design, ENN(English New National ) Curriculum

‘So much Gaelic to me’: Beckett and the Irish Language

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Graham
Keyword(s):  
National Language ◽  
Official Language ◽  
Irish Language ◽  
History Of

This essay explores the ways in which Ireland's sacralised national language figures in Beckett's work. Oblique references to Irish in the Beckett oeuvre are read against a history of Anglo-Irish investment in the language as a mode of ‘impatriation’, a means by which to circumscribe anxieties surrounding an identity fraught with socio-political anomalies. In addition, the suspicion of ‘official language’ in Beckett's work is considered in light of his awareness of the ‘language issue’ in his native country, particularly in relation to the powerful role of the Irish language in the reterritorialisation of the civic sphere in post-independence Ireland.

‘I think one of the ways they will help is to create awareness’: primary school teachers’ perceptions of cardiovascular diseases in Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 24-31
Author(s):  
Kingsley Udeh ◽  
Candidus Nwakasi ◽  
John Fulton
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Diseases ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases

The increasing incidence and prevalence of non-communicable diseases is a major global health concern. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) account for the highest percentage of deaths related to non-communicable diseases, and low and middle-income countries (LMIC) face the highest burden of CVDs. Understanding the knowledge and perception of CVDs and their risk factors in an LMIC such as Nigeria may play an important role in cardiovascular health promotion and improvement plans to reduce CVD-related deaths. A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews to gain an in-depth understanding of some personal and sociocultural views on CVDs and their risk factors. The participants were purposively sampled primary school teachers in South-Eastern Nigeria. Thematic analysis approach was used for data analysis. The study findings include knowledge of heart disease, perceived causes and risk factors of CVDs, spirituality, and the way forward. Overall, the knowledge of CVDs in the setting was found to be related to the psychosocial nature of the participants; the effectiveness of any intervention needs to take these factors into consideration. For example, health policies for CVD health education and awareness should be tailored to address some of the issues of belief, values, and religion, as mentioned in the study.

scholarly journals From real to virtual mobility: Erasmus students’ transition to online learning amid the COVID-19 crisis

2021 ◽  
pp. 147490412110212
Author(s):  
Rita Koris ◽  
Francisco Javier Mato-Díaz ◽  
Núria Hernández-Nanclares
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
International Students ◽  
Cultural Knowledge ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Study Experience ◽  
Learning Capabilities ◽  
Virtual Mobility ◽  
Restrictive Measures

This study explores international students’ perceptions of the transition to the online learning environment while they were studying on an Erasmus+ Study Mobility Programme at host universities in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. Applying the theoretical framework based on the affective, behavioural and cognitive aspects of adaptation in the case of international students, this study reveals what adaptive responses and decisions sojourners made, and how their study experience and learning capabilities were challenged by the restrictive measures introduced at host universities due to the state of emergency declared in the host countries. Fourteen semi-structured interviews with both incoming and outgoing international students were conducted. Results reveal that studying online with reduced social interaction was a real challenge to Erasmus students. They were lacking cultural knowledge of the destination country as well as the insights typically arising from face-to-face teaching and social interactions. However, findings also expose students’ satisfaction with their academic accomplishments. In this regard, specific proposals are made for universities that consider virtual mobility programmes for international students in the future.

Investigating learning in science at the primary school level

1983 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 223-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred Biddulph ◽  
Roger Osborne ◽  
Peter Freyberg
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
School Level ◽  
Primary School Level
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