Learning a foreign language in a foreign language? The first generation immigrant students and learning English supported by the second language to ensure a fair education system

Zadnja leta se v slovenski vzgojno-izobraževalni sistem vključuje vse več otrok, ki so se v Slovenijo priselili iz oddaljenih, kulturno precej različnih držav (OECD, 2015SURS, b. d.). Zaradi novega (tudi šolskega) okolja, jezika, kulture, novih navad, običajev in pričakovanj je lahko vključitev v šolsko in širše družbeno okolje za te učence precej težka in stresna (npr. Knaflič, 1991, 1995Medvešek in Bešter, 2010). Slovenska zakonodaja sicer predvideva določene ukrepe, ki naj bi jim vključitev v novo okolje nekoliko olajšali, a mnoge raziskave (npr. Čančar, 2011Lesar, 2009Peček in Lesar 2006, Rutar idr., 2018Skubic Ermenc, 2010, Soklič, 2012Vižintin, 2013) kažejo, da jim trenutne oblike dela še vedno niso najbolj naklonjene. Posledično ti učenci dosegajo pomembno slabši učni uspeh kot njihovi nepriseljeni vrstniki (OECD, 2010, 2015, 2018). Ker slovenske osnovne šole večinoma ne ponujajo možnosti učenja materinščine učencev priseljencev, ki je po podatkih mnogih raziskav osnova učenju drugih jezikov, in ker večini ni ponujeno niti zadostno število ur učenja slovenščine, jezika okolja (Čančar, 2011Soklič, 2012Peček in Lesar, 2006), se postavi vprašanje, kako ti učenci »uspevajo« pri pouku angleščine – tujem jeziku, ki se ga učijo tudi s pomočjo slovenščine. Empirični del magistrskega dela ponudi odgovore na ključna raziskovalna vprašanja: ali imajo učenci priseljenci prve generacije pri pouku angleščine več učnih težav in/ali slabši učni uspeh kot nepriseljeni učenci, kje imajo težave, kaj so vzroki težav, kateri dejavniki pomembno vplivajo na njihovo (ne)uspešnost pri pouku angleščine, kakšna so stališča učiteljic angleščine do interkulturnosti oz. inkluzivnosti, katere prilagoditve učiteljice angleščine za to populacijo učencev že izvajajo ter ali bi bilo smiselno realizirati še kakšne oblike pomoči in prilagoditve dela. Izsledki kombinirane kvalitativno-kvantitativne raziskave so pokazali, da se pri pouku angleščine velik delež učencev priseljencev prve generacije počuti dobro, dobra polovica intervjuvanih učencev celo meni, da je to učni predmet, pri katerem nepriseljeni vrstniki niso v takšni prednosti in se zato lahko tu dodatno izkažejo. Vendar pa ob tem za precejšen odstotek učencev priseljencev prve generacije velja, da so glede na nepriseljene učence (tudi) pri pouku angleščine postavljeni v precej neenak položaj in da tudi pri tem učnem predmetu, zlasti v višjih razredih osnovne šole, dosegajo slabše akademske dosežke kot njihovi nepriseljeni vrstniki. Učiteljice angleščine se zavedajo svoje vloge glede učenčevega (ne)uspeha pri pouku angleščine pa tudi svoje vloge za boljše vključevanje teh učencev v novo (šolsko) okolje. Ideal pravične šole vidijo v inkluzivno naravnani šoli, kljub temu pa je v praksi možno zaznati precej malo prilagajanja pedagoškega dela. Prilagoditve, ki se izvajajo, so usmerjene predvsem na ocenjevanje učenčevega znanja, ne pa toliko na sam vzgojno-izobraževalni proces. Poleg tega so nemalokatere prilagoditve in oblike pomoči precej odvisne od nekaterih dejavnikov (npr. število učencev priseljencev na šoli). Opažamo tudi, da vključevanje učencev priseljencev (tudi pri pouku angleščine) še vedno temelji predvsem na konceptu integracije. Skrb za socialno vključenost učencev je še vedno velikokrat spregledana, značilnosti in posebnosti narodno-manjšinskih skupnosti pa redko upoštevane. Na poti k pravičn(ejš)i šoli (tudi pri pouku angleščine) je potrebnega še veliko dela. Pri tem je nujno potreben večji premislek v procesu prepoznavanja in odzivanja na vse temeljne vidike neenakosti, ki jih opredeljuje koncept pravičnosti 4 R-jev – tako ekonomske kot tudi statusne, politične in emocionalne.In the last few years there has been a great number of children included in the educational system that have moved to Slovenia from distant and culturally different countries (OECD, 2015SURS, b.d.). Because of the new (school) environment, language, culture, customs, habits and expectations the inclusion into the educational and wider social environment could turn out to be a challenge and a stressful event for them (e.g. Knaflič, 1991, 1995Medvešek in Bešter, 2010). Slovenian legislation has certain laws that enable actions that should make the inclusion into the new environment easier for these pupils but a number of researches (e.g. Čančar, 2011Lesar, 2009Peček and Lesar 2006, Rutar etc., 2018Skubic Ermenc, 2010, Soklič, 2012Vižintin, 2013) show that current forms of work do not help them as needed. As a consequence these pupils achieve significantly poorer academic performance compared to their native peers (OECD, 2010, 2015, 2018). Since Slovenian primary schools mostly do not have an option of teaching the mother tongue of the immigrant pupils, which is the base for learning another language according to some researches, and since most of the pupils do not receive the sufficient amount of hours of learning the Slovenian language which is the language of the environment (Čančar, 2011Soklič, 2012Peček and Lesar, 2006) the issue arises as how »thriving« are these pupils at learning English language – a foreign language being learnt with the support of Slovenian language. The empirical part of the master\u27s thesis provides answers to key questions of the research: do immigrant pupils of the first generation have more difficulties learning the English language as native pupils and/or achieve worse learning success as native pupils, where do the difficulties arise, what are the reasons for difficulties, which factors importantly affect their success at learning English language, the stance of teachers teaching English language on interculturalism and inclusion, which adaptations do the English teachers make for this population of pupils and would it be effective to realize other forms of help and adaptations of work. Results of a combined qualitative-quantitative research show that at English class a large portion of pupils of the first generation of immigrants feel comfortable and half of the pupils are the opinion that non-immigrant peers do not have an advantage and can prove themselves during class. A large percentage of first generation immigrant pupils are nonetheless put in an unequal situation and achieve lower academic achievements and success, especially in higher classes of primary school. English language teachers are aware of their role in the pupils success at learning English as well as their role for better inclusion of these pupils into new (school) environment. Ideally fair school is seen as a school oriented towards inclusion, nonetheless there is not much adaptation of the pedagogic work taking place in practice. Adaptations that are taking place are oriented mostly towards grading the pupils success and not as much towards the education process itself. A significant number of adaptations rely on factors such as the number of immigrant pupils in school. We notice that the inclusion of immigrant pupils (including at English language class) is based mostly on the concept of integration. Care for social inclusion is often overlooked, the characteristics and peculiarities of national minority communities are often not considered. In order to reach a fair(er) school (including learning English language) there is a lot still to be done. This requires a greater consideration during the process of recognizing and responding to all basic aspects of inequality that are determined by the 4R concept of fairness – economical, status, political and emotional