Developing in a new language-speaking setting

This study investigated the effect of English-language acquisition on the learning experiences of a four-year-old Taiwanese immigrant child in a state kindergarten in New Zealand. Data was collected through child observations and parents' and teachers' interviews. The child's learning experience was analysed based on five behaviours-'taking an interest, 'being involved, 'persisting with difficulty, 'expressing a point of view' and 'taking responsibility'--adopted from the child assessment technique of 'Learning Stories' utilised in many childcare services in New Zealand. Results suggested that, regardless of his English-language incompetence, the child demonstrated learning dispositions under two circumstances: first, there was little interaction required between him and the English-speaking children; second, there was a teacher participating in what he was doing. It is suggested that the child's learning outcomes were contingent on the situations in which he found himself.