New Zealand Early Childhood Teachers

Beliefs And Practices In Supporting

English Acquisition For Asian
Immigrant English Language Learners
(Ells): A Pilot Project

Mazlina Che
Mustafa and
Judith
Duncan

CONTEXT OF THE STUDY

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)

QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS
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
interviewed
Focus group of mothers (6)
Focus group of fathers (3)

FOCUS OF THE INTERVIEWS

Unpack the questionnaire fi ndings
Develop understanding of the lived
realities of the questionnaire fi ndings
Develop case studies of family
experiences
Provide exemplars for policy
development in Japan and New Zealand
Questions: Expectations, Experiences,
Support and Quality of Life

FAMILIES
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

Childrens identifi ed
disabilities
Japan
4
1
1
1

c h i l d re n w i t h A u t i s m
c h i l d w i t h C e re b r a l Pa l s y
child with Aspergers
child with intellectual disability

New Zealand
8
1
1
1
1
1
1

children with Cerebral Palsy

child with hearing loss
child with Fragile X Syndrome
child with ADHD and Austism
child with Autism
child with Down Syndrome
child with kidney disease

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

Interview
data

 Disability was made harder by other peoples 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 childs behaviour.
Mothers, in both countries, were tired of feeling they
had to explain their child and the childs behaviour
wherever they went, so they reduced the amount of
public places they participated with their child.

NEW ZEALAND
Families with
regular
children dont
get it

A great [name of child

with dd) day would be a
very bad four-year old
day
Its very hard, being
honest about how you
feel, because youre
being, youre telling
someone how you feel
about something theres
absolutely no.. no
conceivable way they
would have a clue.

NEW ZEALAND
Constant
pressure on
parents to explain
their child, their
childs behaviour,
or their
participation in
activities

Am I going to forever
have to explain why my
son does this and that? Noone 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 whats
wrong with this chap.
And she said Oh nothing,
hes just got a cold.

NEW ZEALAND
Regular
playgroups
arent 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 wasnt helpful but.)
"I've got the loveliest
Plunket group, supportive
and caring but I didnt
really enjoy it because what
youve 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.

JAPAN
Families with
regular
children dont
get it

It was hard for me

when others said,
he is a strange
child or Parents
child care is bad
etc.
Its very hard when
mothers of the
same class, say Ah,
you are his mother

JAPAN
Constant
pressure on
parents to explain
their child, their
childs 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 others
views are very
disagreeable more than if
they were saying
something.

JAPAN
Regular
playgroups
arent 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

SOCIAL SUPPORTS THAT WORK

Japan
Mother-originated
playgroups with
others with children
with similar
disabilities
Spending regular time
with other mothers in
same situation

New Zealand
Playgroups for children
with similar disabilities
(Early Intervention
Services)
New friends with children
with similar disabilities
Facebook
Rural Community
resources

POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Public awareness
campaigns
Multi-disciplinary
early intervention
Opportunities for
social interaction
and collective
group activities
and intervention

you dont need

to apologise to
me here. You
didnt have to
make excuses
Everyone else
has had the week
that youve had

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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