4.2.2 Language as a barrier to acceptance in the school context
4.2.3 Language as a barrier to academic achievements
4.2.4 Learners as language brokers 4.2.5 Mediation in language learning 4.3 Home literacy practices 4.3.1 Reading and writing at home
4.3.2 School literacy practices infiltrating the home
4.3.3 Economic literacy
4.3.4 Religious literacy, Bible reading, and evangelism
4.4 Home/school congruence 4.4.1 Congruence between home/school 4.4.2 Lack of congruence between home/school
4.5 Immigrant families’ views of learning in English
4.5.1 Parents views of learning English 4.5.2 Children views of learning English 4.6 Parental involvement in school. 4.6.1 Parents who are involved
4.7 Challenges faced by educators 4.7.1 Different languages spoken at home
4.7.2 Complimentary strategies employed
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4.2. LANGUAGE
4.2.1. LANGUAGE AS A BARRIER TO COMMUNICATION IN THE SCHOOL CONTEXT
The most pertinent challenge for most Cameroonian immigrants in this study is language. Since competence in the language of the host country is critical for the transition of immigrants into their new place of dwelling. According to Chow (2006: 2) “proficiency in English is a major consideration in the necessity, rapidity, and ease with which immigrants adapt to a milieu dominated by English”. This statement is relevant to French-speaking Cameroonians whose lack of fluency in the English language becomes a barrier to communication as well as an obstacle to social integration in the South African school context. The Francophone Cameroonian immigrants are mostly disadvantaged because of the inability to communicate in either English or the indigenous languages of South Africa. For example, Yasmina, a participant in this study, who arrived South Africa in 2016 found it difficult to understand what was taught in school because of her lack of proficiency in the English language as revealed from the interview that follows. Note that interview extracts are presented grammatically uncorrected where meaning is not hampered.
I couldn’t phrase a good sentence in English. It was kind of challenging like most of them said that new girl, they will be laughing at you. You don't know what they are saying they will be talking their language, they will be saying stuff, and you make a mistake they laugh instead of correcting you, so it was very challenging. There was a time I even wanted to give up, I did not want to go to school anymore because I was tired of people laughing at me and sometimes in school, I even started crying. Ya, because it was very challenging (Interview with Yasmina: 22 August 2017).
In this extract, Yasmina demonstrates that she feels marginalized and excluded because of her lack of proficiency in the English language. She feels learners were ridiculing her instead of providing support, which is humiliating. The negative attitude of the South African learners towards Yasmina’s inability to express herself fluently in
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English is not conducive to effective language learning. In addition, Yasmina feels her confidence was eroded as peers teased her, making her feel deficient which affected her self-concept and self-esteem. In such an instance the feelings that Yasmina registered could have led to her giving up or losing interest in her education. Pavlenko & Blackledge (2004: 3) states that, “language and literacy are sometimes used to marginalize particular individuals and groups”. This concurs with Vandeyar’s (2010:350) claim that "when immigrants are deprived and destitute of the basic tenets of language in a community, there is a possibility of exclusion". Therefore, it is of paramount importance that immigrant children are supported in the process of learning a new language. Support could be provided by mediating agents such as parents, siblings, peers, and teachers.
Vygotsky (1978) emphasizes the importance of social interaction in language learning, whereby a more competent peer or person assists the less competent peer through supportive conditions in which the novice can extend his or her current knowledge to a higher level of competence. Likewise, Rogoff (2003), observes that young children learn as apprentices alongside more experienced members of the community. Therefore, mediation and scaffolding in language learning are of great importance, as these supports enhance the learner’s ability to rise to a higher level of intellectual development, through the assistance of an adult mediator or a more capable peer and thus gain agency. Mr. Khumulani also reveals some of the challenges encountered by immigrant learners.
Mr. Khumulani: The first problem is their confidence is very low when it comes to the usage of English and when it comes to writing also it is a challenge, When they write you do not really understand.
Mr. Researcher: So why do you think their confidence level is low?
Mr. Khumulani: Because they are not at par with the rest of the children; they are from a non-English-speaking country and coming into an English speaking country where English is the
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language of instruction, that also erodes their confidence. Also, some learners when they make a mistake when speaking or reading they tend to laugh at them, especially when we do oral presentations. Now the immigrant learners want to come for their presentations during break when the other learners are not in class. So it boils down to their confidence level. (Interview with Mr. Khumulani, 28 July 2018)
In this extract Mr Khumulani reveals how immigrant learners are ridiculed in class by their peers due to their lack of competence in English. The fact that some immigrant learners prefer to do presentations during break when their peers are not present reveals that, they are trying to avoid being ridiculed by peers and also this suggests that their confidence level is low. Furthermore, an interview with Mrs. Ngalam reveals a similar experience her daughter Mary had, during her early days at school.
Mrs Ngalam: Oh when they came here, my kids were coming home crying, because kids here are not like French kids, they are so mean, and how can I say, they will make fun of you. Like my first child she will come home crying that Mama Mama they are making fun of me, when she says something they will laugh, and they will make fun of her that you are so black, you are like that, you are like that, and she will come home always crying. The first year was difficult (Interview with Mrs Ngalam: 22 August 2017).
In this extract, Mrs. Ngalam states how her daughter Mary, was ridiculed in school because of her inability to communicate fluently in English. As a result of children teasing her, she felt distraught. The excerpt from Mrs Ngalam is in agreement with the statement by the New London Group (1996 in Gichura, 2013: 124) that “African youths, like most newcomers, faced marginalisation for lacking the host society and school’s social and cultural capital, and non-recognition of their own cultural
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knowledge and languages”. Given that, the Constitution of South Africa (1996) guarantees ‘every child the right to education’, there is need to acknowledge the literacy practices of these children.
As postulated by Suárez-Orozco et al (2015: 51) “schools play an integral part in facilitating child development. It is very important for schools to address the needs of immigrant children, especially during the critical phase of transition into a new language and culture, so that immigrant children develop unique social and psychological competencies for optimal growth and academic achievement. These include developing bilingual and bicultural skills, forming positive ethnic and racial identities, and learning to navigate and overcome both interpersonal and systematic discrimination”.
4.2.2. LANGUAGE AS A BARRIER TO ACCEPTANCE IN THE SCHOOL