Scenario: You are moving to a new country (pick a country which has a different script such as China, Saudi Arabia or Bangladesh). You can only take a suitcase with you. Discuss your thoughts on the following groups of questions;
How would you feel about moving?
What would you take?
What would you leave behind?
Who would you miss?
What activities would you miss?
How would you feel about learning the language?
Do you think other people would speak English?
What if no one spoke English – how would you communicate?
Do you think you would be able to make friends?
How would you feel if people laughed at you when you tried to speak their language?
How would you feel about your work?
How would you understand the lessons?
How would you feel if you couldn’t write the alphabet/characters?
Which lessons do you think you would understand more easily?
What things could your class and teacher do to help you learn?
Each group could give a short oral presentation and together come up with a plan for the new arrival.
Plenary: Feedback the information from the groups.
Progress the thinking: “Using your understanding of how someone may feel about arriving in a new place and not being able to speak the language – can you think of actual things we can do in our class or school to help our new classmate settle in?”
Put together an action plan as a class with up to 5 concrete ways they can help.
This article follows ''A Recipe for a Successful Start for New Arrivals in School.'
