Event Details
Newcomer children join Northern Irish schools with little or no English and have to quickly adapt to English-speaking society and schooling. This is a massive ask, both for the children themselves, who are often arriving in NI through difficult circumstances and have had little or no prior formal education, but also, of course, the schools themselves who are dealing with large number of newcomers, with different native languages.
In this event we present the impact of a unique language project: ‘Language Made Fun’ - a joint Ulster University-Barnardo’s’- Fane Street and Holy Rosary primary schools initiative, which directly targeted the language needs of newcomer children through bespoke play-based linguistics intervention strategies. Successful outcomes for the children reached far beyond language abilities and included increased confidence, integration and educational opportunities. In this event we review how programmes such as Language Made Fun that involve a unique collaboration between schools, academics and the charitable sector can help newcomer children flourish in the school system and ultimately have a positive impact on their future life choices.
Location: BD-00-011 at Ulster University’s Belfast Campus
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