Reading Development: A Study of Refugee Students' Language Skills

This essay examines the reading challenges faced by refugee students as they integrate into new educational systems. It addresses the assumption that language requirements for refugees are minor, highlighting the diverse experiences and needs of this population. The essay explores how refugee youth grapple with learning a new language, often with a different writing system, while simultaneously acquiring necessary skills to keep pace with their non-refugee peers. It discusses the psychological effects of past traumas on learning, the importance of L1 literacy in building a foundation for L2 reading development, and the impact of Cummins hypothesis on language acquisition. Furthermore, the essay emphasizes the roles of teachers and schools in providing support through curriculum development, professional development, and the promotion of social literacies, ultimately affecting the students' ability to navigate new social environments and academic expectations. The essay references studies and reports highlighting the challenges and potential solutions for refugee students' educational success.

Running Head: REFUGEE ARABIC AND ENGLISH READING 1
Refugee Arabic and English Reading
Student's Name
Tutor's Name
Course
Institutional Affiliation
Date
Introduction

REFUGEE ARABIC AND ENGLISH READING 2
The assumption is that language requirement of refugees is minor. Participation in second
language classes learns how to speak, to read and also read the new language. This notion does
not only ignore the various experience of the refugee but also extends the idea that language need
is much different from other requirements. Refugee youth face problems when integrating into
new societies and most of them become influenced by their language incapability.
Question 1
Challenges
According to Kamil (1995), the refugees' youth are expected to learn a new language that
entails different writing system at the same time they work on acquiring skills and content to be
in line with non- refugee peers. The youths also deal with suffering recovery and family
separation. Young teens are expected to choose their careers and thus the instruction and school
support for the teenagers that will have a significant effect on their lives. Thorstensson (2010),
claims that opportunities available to them at this time influences their ability to suit themselves
as well as their households which may entail their children extended families and parents.
The refugee takes a lot of time before they catch up with their native-speaking peers
(Brown et al., 2006). The refugee students lack the understanding of school norms and
expectations. Olliff (2010), refugee education partnership suggested that the psychological
effects of the past traumas affect the young person's strength to learn thus causing low
concentration, challenging classroom behavior and unsatisfactory academic progress.
Question a
Roles
L1 readings help young people to be fruitful in social friendship, to build interaction in
the new community, find jobs and to be heroes in school. LI literacy provides the foundation for

REFUGEE ARABIC AND ENGLISH READING 3
L2 reading development. The ability to read the second language become influenced mainly by
L1 reading.
The reason is that when one becomes skillful in a target language, it occurs in cycle with
other life courses such as navigating unknown cultural and social activities for example attending
a religious event or joining sports group, citizenship and visas application which deals with
official paperwork.
Young refugees acquire l2 language through teachers and support staff. Teachers when
provided with tools to address refugee student need through curriculum development,
professional development, communication and development of skills and new approaches
investigation (Woods, 2009). Schools provide education to support more than print knowledge;
they can also enhance development in social literacies, digital and health.
Question b
Impacts
According to Cummins hypothesis (1978) suggested that existing relation between L1
and L2 since bilinguals can transmit knowledge from the original language to become used in the
second language. L1 development positively affects L2 learning. But if L1 degrees is low to a
specific cognitive stage, then there will be a difficulty for the learner to achieve a significant
level of competence in L2. L1 proficiency contains a direct influence on later achievement of L2
(Cummins, 1978). Exposure to L1 language is not enough to minimize the gap between
monolinguals and bilinguals. L1 introduction correlates positively with the phonological
processing and vocabulary. This exposure shows that even though experience may be essential
for productive rather than receptive duties.

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References
Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) (Producer). (2016, August 12, August 12). School
experiences of refugee newcomers in schools. CBC Morning Edition.

REFUGEE ARABIC AND ENGLISH READING 5
Cummins, J. (2009). A Response to "Developing literacy in second-language learners," by Lisa
Pray and Robert T. Jiménez.