"Much has been written about the education of migrant children in western countries in the last few decades and yet we seem to be far from understanding the dynamics of the experience of such children in our schools and, even further, from developing appropriate policies and strategies to meet the challenges. While mass migration itself is as old as the history of Europe and the Americas (Davies 1996; Hobsbawm 1994), and familiar archetypal patterns of societal reception and resistance have resurfaced at different periods of migration in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in different national contexts, the ever-shifting dynamics of social, demographic and political events urgently require us to look again and from new perspectives at the consequences of this experience on the education of migrant-background children. As indicated in the title, the particular focus of this volume, and on the research that underpins it, is on the phenomena of 'language development' and 'social integration' in the context of 1.5 generation migrant-background children who have little or no competence in the first language of the host community on arrival and therefore face particular challenges in their schooling. While the empirical core of our research is set in the context of education in England, we draw on insights gained from international perspectives and practices. We examine language development and social integration separately as well as in their relation to each other. Separately, the two phenomena invite examination from the point of view, amongt others, of progression. 14 How do EAL pupils in England make progress in their English language? What are the features of the language produced, both formal and informal? What factors appear to influence the development of their competence in English? A parallel set of questions guides our exploration of the evidence on 'social integration'. How quickly do EAL pupils establish bonds with their peers in the new school environment? What does 'social integration' mean in this context? What factors facilitate or hinder the process? What is the role of school-home communication in the context of parental integration?"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.