Information+about+Pacific+Bilingual+Students

The Minisrty of Education in 2003 commissioned Professor Stephen May & Dr Margaret Franken and Dr Joanne McComish to produce a resource for teachers in English medium mainstream schools to be more effective teachers of Pasifika students.This included an extensive international and local research reviews-( see report on this site) The findings by these researchers in 2005 indicated teacher knowledge about the languages and cultures student bring with them to school would be a most effective way to raise student achievement. The Ministry of Education refused to publish the report or put up the website until 2008 when the New Secretary of Education was appointed.
 * LEAP- Value of Pasifika Bilingualism Video Links **

However the Goal in the 2008-2012 Pasifika Education Plan to upskill teacher knowledge on bilingualism in the LEAP professional development has been WITHDRAWN from the PEP in the 2009 secret revision ordered by the current Minister of Education- The goal said-

// • home to Pasifika bilingual, immersion and mainstream ECE services // // • ECE to schooling // // •within schooling // // •schooling to further study and/or sustainable employment. // // 1) Develop an action plan to: // // • Increase research into effective bilingual pedagogies and language acquisition processes, and explore their implementation in designated bilingual classrooms // // **•Increase effective teaching practices for bilingual students through professional learning for teachers in Pasifika bilingual classrooms and English medium classrooms** // // • Support the transitions of Pasifika bilingual students (into, within and between Pasifika bilingual ECE services, Pasifika Bilingual classrooms and English medium classrooms. //
 * PEP Plan 2008-2012 Goal 17 **// Increase effective teaching for Pasifika bilingual students in a range of settings. Increase transitions by ensuring there are clear pathways available from**:** //
 * // Strategies & Actions included: //**

// The Plan will: // // • Be clearly informed by ongoing national and international research on effective pedagogies for monolingual, bilingual and plurilingual students, and evidence-based practices for supporting student outcomes. // // **• Include the development of relevant resources and assessment tools for teachers of bilingual students (including Pasifika bilingual students) across a range of year levels and within Pasifika bilingual classrooms and English medium classrooms.** // // The Ministry of Education to support student’s language learning through strong early Childhood. School community language learning opportunities //
 * // • Include professional learning for teachers within designated Pasifika bilingual classrooms and English medium classrooms (this includes LEAP/ Languages Enhancing Achievement for Pasifika (LEAP tki .org) and strengthening links with existing professional learning opportunities. //**
 * ALL goals and strategies now effectively abandoned in the revised 2009-2012 PEP. Now perhaps the Palagi Plan for Pasifika Education(PPEP). **

The list of videos on LEAP is listed below for you.We suggest you download and store each video as they may not stay on the site for long as the goal of bilingualism has been withdrawn by the MoE.

Paste this URL **__ [] __** into your browser address bar and then click on the video you want to view (give it time to load, click play). Alternative link http://tki.org.nz/ pasifika Search for LEAP vidoes

Language domains Languages are interdependent Bilingualism Advantages of bilingualism Being bilingual Metalinguistic awareness Value of bilingualism Parents and bilingual learning Two languages at school Effective teaching relationships Supporting first languages Bilingual programmes Vocabulary – focus on form Secondary curriculum and vocabulary Group work Monitoring achievement