Mazlina Che Mustafa and Judith Duncan

New Zealand Early Childhood Teachers’ Beliefs And Practices In Supporting English Acquisition For Asian Immigrant English Language

Learners (Ells): A Pilot Project

explore the beliefs and practices of New Zealand early childhood teachers in supporting English acquisition for Asian immigrant English language learners (ELLs) by using socio-cultural approaches

Qualitative method Interview with two qualified early childhood

teachers. Observation (teachers and two case study Asian

immigrant ELLs)

CONTEXT OF THE STUDY

Japan

5 two parent families interviewed –Focus group of mothers (6) Focus group of fathers (6)

New Zealand

6 two parent families and 1 sole-parent family interviewedFocus group of mothers (6)Focus group of fathers (3)

QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS

Unpack the questionnaire findingsDevelop understanding of the ‘lived

realities’ of the questionnaire findingsDevelop case studies of family

experiencesProvide exemplars for policy

development in Japan and New ZealandQuestions: Expectations, Experiences,

Support and Quality of Life

FOCUS OF THE INTERVIEWS

Japan – Six families interviewed 1 family with only child 3 families with two

children 1 family with three

children 1 family with four children

New Zealand – 14 families interviewed

2 families with only child 7 families with two

children 3 families with three

children 2 family with four children

Children’s identifi ed disabilities

Japan

4 chi ldren with Autism 1 chi ld with Cerebral Palsy 1 chi ld with Aspergers 1 chi ld with intel lectual disabil ity

New Zealand

8 chi ldren with Cerebral Palsy 1 chi ld with hearing loss 1 chi ld with Fragile X Syndrome 1 chi ld with ADHD and Austism 1 chi ld with Autism 1 chi ld with Down Syndrome 1 chi ld with kidney disease

FAMILIES

Interview data

“AM I GOING TO FOREVER HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHY MY SON DOES THIS AND

THAT? NO-ONE ELSE HAS TO DO THAT” PARENTING CHILDREN WITH

DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS

Disability was made harder by other people’s views, opinions and lack of understanding around disability.

The mothers discussed experiences from frustration to real grief in their experiences with others who do not have children with a disability, and discussed how strangers in the street would pass comment on the child and the child’s behaviour.

Mothers, in both countries, were tired of feeling they had to explain their child and the child’s behaviour wherever they went, so they reduced the amount of public places they participated with their child.

Families with ‘regular children’ don’t get it

“ A great [name of child with dd) day would be a very bad four-year old day”

“It’s very hard, being honest about how you feel, because you’re being, you’re telling someone how you feel about something there’s absolutely no.. no conceivable way they would have a clue”.

NEW ZEALAND

Constant pressure on parents to explain their child, their child’s behaviour, or their participation in activities

“Am I going to forever have to explain why my son does this and that? No-one else has to do that”.

“ A friend had worked for [a special unit] had taken a group of adult with severe needs to a mall. Someone came up and said “ what’s wrong with this chap”. And she said “Oh nothing, he’s just got a cold”.

NEW ZEALAND

Regular playgroups aren’t for me

 

“I was really off ended when the Plunket nurse said that there was no point in you coming back (can see that it wasn’t helpful but….)”

"I've got the loveliest Plunket group, supportive and caring – but I didn’t really enjoy it because what you’ve been through is so diff erent, what you are going through now is so diff erent, what you worry and think about is so diff erent”.

NEW ZEALAND

Families with ‘regular children’ don’t get it

It was hard for me when others said, “he is a strange child” or “Parent’s child care is bad” etc.

It’s very hard when mothers of the same class, say “Ah, you are his mother”

JAPAN

Constant pressure on parents to explain their child, their child’s behavior, or their participation in activities

In hospital, I explained to my daughter, ”Next we go upstairs to receive medical examination” etc… but there is no reaction. Others said me, ”You are noisy although the child can be waiting calmly.”

When I participated with my son, I feel that other’s views are very disagreeable more than if they were saying something.

JAPAN

Regular playgroups aren’t for me

“I feel that the best support is talking with mothers with children with similar disabilities”

“After the child entered school we lost the playgroups, and we formed the new one”

JAPAN

Japan

Mother-originated playgroups with others with children with similar disabilities

Spending regular time with other mothers in same situation

New ZealandPlaygroups for children with similar disabilities (Early Intervention Services)

New friends with children with similar disabilities

Facebook

Rural Community resources

SOCIAL SUPPORTS THAT WORK

Public awareness campaigns

Multi-disciplinary early intervention

Opportunities for social interaction and collective group activities and intervention

“‘you don’t need to apologise to me here”. You didn’t have to make excuses”

“Everyone else has had the week that you’ve had”

POLICY IMPLICATIONS

The Ministry of Education, Japan for the funding of this project

The translation support of Aya Bartneck

The participating families in the interviews

The supportive agencies and organisations who promoted the study within their membership

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS