The linguistic development and needs of migrant children: a case study

Abstract

For more than four decades, European institutions together with researchers and language policy makers have been working on the linguistic integration of migrant children and providing them with a variety of language acquisition guidelines. It has been widely recognised that proficiency in the host country’s language opens the door to academic and professional performance and the lack of such proficiency can result in failure to integrate in the host country or even cause significant emotional and behavioural problems. Researchers claim that the learning of such children’s mother tongue should be encouraged and supported even on the state level because it can “both help students learn the host-country language and enrich the educational environment by introducing cultural and linguistic diversity” (Siarova and Essomba, 2014). Furthermore, a number of studies on bilingual children prove that such children have increased meta-cognitive and metalinguistic skills (e. g. Bialystok, 2007), are better at languages and executive functioning (Bialystok, Craik and Luk, 2012). Although the most effective learning of two languages happens at an early age, language learning support should be continued during school years and encouraged by parents and school as bilingualism is “an asset that brings about important cognitive, social, and economic benefits” (Ramirez and Kuhl, 2016). The major challenges for implementation of EU policies on linguistic integration of migrant children are usually the lack of financial governmental support, very diverse needs of migrants, the lack of teacher training and relatively low parental and community involvement (Siarova and Essomba, 2014). In order to develop insight into migrant children’s linguistic needs as well as to identify teaching forms, parental and community support that could help in meeting these needs,[...]