our WORK WITH students OF MIGRANT AND REFUGEE ORIGIN

LIVADA PRIMARY SCHOOL, LJUBLJANA

Our vision:

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We create people together. Today they might be shorter but tomorrow they will be taller than us.«

354 pupils from 27 countries with 18 different languages are enrolled in our school. Most of our students are located in the school surroundings (Cesta dveh cesarjev and Rakova Jelša parts of Ljubljana) and belong to the third or fourth generation of immigrants from the states of former Yugoslavia. Most of them are from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the rest are from Kosovo, Serbia, North Macedonia and Croatia. Although most of them have been born in Slovenia and some of them have Slovenian nationality, they consider Slovene language as a foreign language as they communicate in their families in their own languages. Some students from Russia and Bulgaria have enrolled in our school in recent years, and since 2016 students from other language and cultural groups have enrolled in our school as well, namely from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Palestine, Mongolia and Congo. Therefore we have created a special group of beginners who learn Slovene language two hours a day during the first two periods after which these students attend regular classes with their classmates. Most of the work with them is done by a teacher who teaches Slovene language at the preparatory stage while other teachers work with them on one-to one approach according to individuals’ needs. There are between 30 to 50 students of migrant origin with the status of foreign residents at our school each school year.

The organisation of our work in the preparation class

Since last two school years, we have had two-month long intensive Slovene language course ( from the beginning of September to the end of October), taught by our teacher teaching multiplication skills to migrant students. The course is attended by migrant students with their first year of their enrollment in a school in Slovenia .

As there is a huge number of such students (36 of them this school year), we have received funds for additional 21 hours of lessons from our Ministry of Education and we have been able to hire an additional Slovene language teacher who only works with migrant children. Students are divided into two groups according to their age ; they attend the course of Slovene language first two periods of the school day , after which they attend regular classes with their classmates . At the end of the course they write a test and based on its results and they either join the intermediate course or they take additional hours of individual help in Slovene language. �

Every day before the regular school lessons or periods start, there is a period of pre-regular class of intermediate course in Slovene language for students who have already been enrolled in our school for the second school year ( this school year 31 such students) from the beginning of the school year in September. They are also divided into two groups according to their age. Before the autumn school holidays at the end of October, these students write a test , have an oral performance and can leave this intermediate group according to their knowledge.�

Since March 2016, we have started accepting refugee students from the Asylum Centre in Ljubljana so we have opened an additional classroom of the preparation class of our work. These refugee students have had first three periods in Slovene language, after which they attend regular classes with their classmates .

TWO-STAGE MODEL: THE INTRODUCTORY CLASS AND PREPARATION CLASS�Introductory class takes place during the last week of August. In this initial 20 hours long course in Slovene language, foreign students learn about our school, the new culture, and about the city of Ljubljana.��Preparation class no.1: It involves students with both asylum seekers’ status and refugee status. Slovene language is taught as the second foreign language first two periods after which they attend regular classes with their classmates.�� Preparation class no.2: It involves migrant students from the states of the former Yugoslavia. Slovene language is taught one period before the start of regular classes . This course is attended by both migrant students with the first and the second year of their enrollment in our school. �Attending the course of the preparation class no.2 is recommended for migrant students, but when the student's level of knowledge of Slovene is high enough, he/she can finish it at the suggestion of the teacher and at the confirmation from the teachers’ assembly.

� Goals of the Preparatory stage�

-basic communication knowledge of students in Slovene language�- to engage in conversations about different topics and in different circumstances�-to understand and learn the basics of the Slovene language so that they can participate in learning the school material�-to know how to start a conversation and respond meaningfully to others' speaking initiatives�-to know how to create different texts (according to the purpose, topic, who is intended for…)�- to know spelling rules, ie. Slovene language letters, spelling, capitalization and punctuation, writing words together or apart, writing adopted words from foreign languages etc�-to know the rules on the word and sentence order in Slovene language.

In addition to the materials for teaching Slovene as a second foreign language, teachers also use children songbooks, folk songs and modern songs , fiction stories, children's and youth newspapers and informative newspapers.�They also use pictorials, art texts, poems, internet sources, puzzles, proverbs, fables, fairy tales, stories, legends and non-fiction texts, such as articles from peer-reviewed journals, books and textbooks.�Leaflets, advertisements, menus, films, theater programs, schedules, maps and all forms are also welcome in the class.�INTERACTIVE DICTIONARY http://medkulturnost.si/slikovni-slovar/

• Factors that facilitate language learning��- Relationship of the child with the language learner ( if someone is accepted and respected).�- Encouraging environment.�- He must believe that if he knows 'their' language ...�- He must love the language.�- Kindergarten / school relationship with parents:�they must feel accepted�respect for parents and children�relaxed atmosphere�“A school for mothers“.

• Factors facilitating language learning - Individualization of the child: - Consideration of his / her abilities, - Consideration of his / her needs and desires, - Preparation of an activity plan for the child's optimal development (IP / INA). - Parents' attitudes towards the child (parents are the most encouraged by their child to start learning a new language). MAINTAINING THE MOTHER LANGUAGE!

IMPORTANT !!! Every teacher is a teacher of Slovene! Let's have realistic expectations!

Competences of a teacher who teaches Slovene as a second language �Proficiency: �- competence to work with migrants �- knowledge of methods and ways of the work to learn Slovene as a foreign language , �-perseverance, authority, consistency� - organization, ability to communicate with different speaking levels of interlocutors,� ability to maintain a clear view of multiple activities at once� adaptability, receptivity, easy-going attitude

�Methodical didactic adjustments

The plan of activities for an individual student

• Personal data�name and surname,�date of the school enrollment, previous education, background and achievements,�country and place of origin,�  language skills - languages that a child understands, speaks , reads�  what languages would a child still like to learn?�The content important for monitoring the child's progress�the child's strong areas,�learning challenges,�social inclusion,�cooperation with parents,�goals or objectives. expected achievements,�adjustments in teaching and assessment ( tests, examination)�evaluation

Recommendations in Giving Assistance To a Student

• . Positive school climate,�  coordinator for migrant pupils,�  Slovenian language lessons,�  individual and group assistance, supplementary instruction,�  joining pre-school and after school day care�  a child should not be evaluated during the introductory period,�  we assign a tutor to an immigrant student,�  individual teacher talks with the migrant student,�  the opportunity to introduce yourself with your language, culture, habits, customs, dances, songs,�  the use of various didactic aids and materials (pictorial material),�  ongoing understanding of new words and concepts,�  shorter texts,�  incentives to read like reading badges, incentives to read in mother tongues,�  a library stocked with books in different languages

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Possibility to adjust assessment

Assistance to parents

��� Thank you for your attention!� ���� Ksenja Žižek ,Professor of Slavic Studies