DNE: Lecture 14***

• Non-Chinese Speaking (NCS) Students in HK 


   Major types of ethnical minority students in Hong Kong: Indian, Indonesian, Nepali, Filipino, Thai, Pakistani, etc.
• Adaption and Integration

  1. Understanding and accepting cultural differences 


   Dressing - e.g. skih boys wearing a Patka

   Taboos - e.g. avoid touching Buddhists ‘ heads

   Diet restriction - e.g. Muslims do not eat pork.

   Religion & Family Ties - e.g. NCS children might be absent from schools because they need to visit their home countries.
• 2. Help NCS children who struggle with emotions


   Accompany with relatives - e.g. allowing relatives to stay with NCS children at the beginning of a new school term.

   Grouping - e.g. Teachers can put children from the same cultural background in the same group

   Provide learning opportunities that only require children’s physical participation

   Explain daily routine

   Peer Support Programme - e.g. Teachers should learn the NCS child’s interests and personality

   Give some responsibilities - e.g. Teachers can give some responsibilities to NCS children based on their abilities
• 3. Decoration of school environment

   Placing familiar things

  • e.g. Teachers can place things that NCS children find familiar in classrooms, so as to increase their feelings of cordiality.
  • Corner decoration - e.g. Teachers can prepare a learning corner with materials that introduce different culture e.g. different countries’ food or costume
• 4. Cultural integration

  • Explain lifestyles of children from different cultural backgrounds to local children
  • Learn local culture - e.g. Introducing local people’s lifestyles, customs, festivals, tradition and values
  • Introduce NCS children’s customs or any related topics to local children - e.g. let NCS children who have good verbal expression ability to introduce their culture to the class, so that other children can learn more about different culture
• Principles of teaching NCS children

  • Scaffolding: teachers can help NCS children to learn a task at the beginning.
  • A variety of strategies: Helping methods may include visual organizers, images and memory tactics.
  • Challenge and success: Providing challenging tasks an appropriate level for NCS children.
  • Involvement: Providing chances for NCS children to engage in a conversations.
  • Responsiveness to cultural and individual diversity: Teachers should make sure that the content of instruction relates to students’ experience.