Studying towards a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies and Leadership
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Location: Rehua
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Language, literacy and learning occur across all environments (both physical and digital) and across entire linguistic repertoires of emergent bilinguals. An important way educators and policymakers can value and support bilingual and multilingual children鈥檚 use of all their languages is to include their language and related cultural artefacts in their linguistic landscapes. This research describes the linguistic landscapes of seven early childhood centres and five primary schools to understand the language and digital technology policies and practices in the physical and digital environments of young emergent bilinguals, with a focus on educational services and their links with wh膩nau. The two-phase data collection consisted of photos, screenshots, videos of linguistic landscapes and interviews with teachers and wh膩nau. Findings show that M膩ori language visibility in educational environments increased significantly over one year, indicating development aligned with curriculum guidelines and a commitment to work within the bilingual context of Aotearoa New Zealand. Other heritage languages were less visible and teachers expressed a need for further support to engage with the mini传媒 languages and cultures of children. Support and use of children鈥檚 heritage languages were enhanced by working in partnership with the children鈥檚 wh膩nau to increase the value and authenticity of their languages.
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Research Interests
Leona Harris is a UC doctoral student and lead research assistant for A Better Start: E Tipu e Rea National Science Challenge Literacy Strand 鈥 Emergent Bilinguals in a Digital World httys://ebdwwebsite.wixsite.com/ebdw. Originally a primary school teacher, Leona specialised in TESOL and has worked nationally and internationally in both primary and tertiary sectors. Her Master鈥檚 thesis was set in a M膩ori language immersion early childhood centre and explored the linguistic landscape (physical and digital) that supported M膩ori language development.听 Her future research interests are young children鈥檚 development of languages and well-being in environments with increasingly more mobile digital screen technologies.
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Working thesis title
The language environments of young emergent bilinguals growing up in a digital world
