Developing Somali heritage language through extracurricular activities: A case study exploring perceptions of Somali origin primary pupils and their parents

Abikar, Shamsudin

Abstract

Pupils learning a second language, while maintaining their home language (heritage language) for academic purposes, often experience an advantage in classrooms. However, in England, generally, there is a lack of any policies that aim to develop heritage languages in schools, and this may create an academic disadvantage for these pupils. This qualitative case study explored ways to reverse this disadvantage by looking at: 1) how teaching heritage language literacy to 13 KS2 pupils in an English primary school, who were all (except one) born in England and whose dominant language is English, can positively impact upon them and their parents; and 2) how teaching heritage language literacy to 7 of these pupils’ parents can empower them with confidence to support their heritage language literacy and English literacy at home.

Cummins’ (1978) threshold, language interdependence and linguistic transfer hypotheses (1976) were employed as the analytical framework for the study, to examine how heritage language literacy learning by pupils may impact on their grammar achievement in the classroom. The study also aimed to understand how concepts learned in English might be transferred to heritage language during the intervention sessions, and how learning heritage language literacy in general impacts pupils and parents.

Through the use of surveys, semi-structured interviews, a reflective diary, language assessments and intervention sessions, the trajectory of the participants’ heritage language literacy learning journey was mapped out. The five themes ascertained from the semi-structured interview findings suggest that both pupils and parents believe that learning heritage language literacy is important for: 1) identity; 2) cognition; and 3) communication, and identify: 4) strategies to maintain heritage language literacy; and 5) barriers to heritage language literacy learning. Based on the findings of the study, results-driven recommendations were given. Limitations of the study included gender representation disparity of pupils (8 boys and 5 girls) and parents (only mothers), and time constraints. The dissertation outlines the implications of the study and recommendations for further research, concluding with the author’s reflection on what he has learned personally and professionally from carrying out this study.

Citation

Abikar, S. Developing Somali heritage language through extracurricular activities: A case study exploring perceptions of Somali origin primary pupils and their parents. (Thesis). University of the West of England. Retrieved from https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/5261105

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jan 28, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 27, 2020
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/5261105
• Award Date: Nov 27, 2020