ERIC Number: EJ1215648
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2188-9554
EISSN: N/A
They Forget That I'm There: Migrant Students Traversing Language Barriers at School
Cassar, Joanne; Tonna, Michelle Attard
IAFOR Journal of Language Learning, v4 n1 p7-23 Win 2018
The positioning of migrant students within schools of the host country is considerably determined by issues related to the language of instruction adopted in these schools. This article presents a qualitative study conducted in two Maltese girls' secondary schools and examines how teachers and migrant students dealt with language issues. Data were collected through focus groups to find out power dynamics that emerged as a result of the negotiations surrounding issues related to language. The authors draw on Foucault's works on power relations to demonstrate that learning experiences of migrant girls are situated in language and shaped by joint construction of meanings, which students and teachers create. The findings indicate that migrant students' use of language functioned as a source of power, which seemed instrumental in developing a sense of belonging at school. Although the study is located within a specific Maltese context, it may be considered relevant to debates about the experiences of English language learners in other geographical and socio-cultural settings involving migrant students.
Descriptors: Barriers, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Immigrants, Foreign Countries, Females, Single Sex Schools, Secondary School Students, Power Structure, Learning Experience, Language Usage, Student School Relationship, Language Proficiency, Peer Relationship, Student Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes, Semitic Languages, Educational Experience
International Academic Forum. Sakae 1-16-26 - 201 Naka Ward, Nagoya Aichi, Japan 460-0008. Tel: +81-50-5806-3184; Web site: https://iafor.org/journal/iafor-journal-of-language-learning/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Malta
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A