Program for developing writing skills for bilingual or socio-culturally different students

In the field of education, we are being faced with a problem of teaching bilingual and socio-culturally different students, because knowing Slovenian language represents the crucial importance for their successful integration into the new environment and for their success in school. Due to the lack of understanding Slovenian language, immigrant pupils are having a hard time showing and gaining new knowledge. When communicating with their peers they are using social language whilst during class they are obligated to use the abstract learning language, which is structurally very complicated. Troubles in understanding second language result in difficulties in listening, speaking, reading and writing, which are foundations for developing literacy. We included five pupils into the research. They were of different age, their time of living in Slovenia was different and they were from different countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo). Due to this, there were noticeable differences in their understanding of the Slovenian language. Based on the diagnostic assessment that contained key elements that influence the development or writing skills, we made a short term and individualized program for each pupil. We discovered that this program had very little influence on the development of writing skills in the second language of these pupils. The reason was mostly in the excessive number of goals we had set and in the fact that these pupils only come in contact with their second language (Slovenian) in schools whilst at home they use their first language. When creating the programs, we adjusted them to the specific needs of each pupil, which turned out to be very suitable. All of the pupils were highly motivated and at the end they expressed the desire for more study lessons, where they could learn in a way that is fun. Using pictures and constantly checking their progress was also a very successful approach. When the program was finished, we noticed certain common features in these pupils. They all have troubles in understanding Slovenian language when listening, speaking, reading or writing. They have difficulties separating colloquial and literary language. They are also aware of their difficulties in writing in Slovene but non the less they are willing to learn it – they just prefer it to be fun