Page 205 - Second language development of newly arrived migrant kindergarteners - Frederike Groothoff

The influence of the school learning environment 205 with Peers and Peer Interaction did not have similar effects on any of the language measures. The fact that there were many non-significant variables and that two language measures could not be taken into the analysis of the school learning environment at all is challenging, however it makes the significant variables stand out. The significant variables however are not straightforward and do not justify saying that it is better for the second language development of young newly arrived migrant pupils to start in a DL2-school or in a Mainstream school. We cannot justify this since for example the variable Language Activities, more present in a DL2-school, had an effect on the language measure NDW, while another variable, Positive Climate for instance, more present in a Mainstream school, had an effect on the languages measure for receptive vocabulary. Further research should, first of all, focus on these effects in the longer term in order to see which variable is more important for second language development. Second, researchers should focus on how to create a learning environment with all these important variables present for newly arrived migrant pupils to have a supportive school learning environment irrespective of school type.