A Closer Look At Mahsa

Hayley MinnerBilingualism

Background Information

•From Mashhad, Iran•8th grade•14 years old•Currently literate in Farsi and in English•Entered an English-speaking school for the first time 12/14/01 after 5 years of formal schooling in Iran.

Challenges

• Non-English proficient in 2001– Apple, dog

• School– Less emphasis on homework– Longer school day– No uniform– Mixed classrooms

• “Uncovered” women (grocery store and beach)

Family Support

• Goal was to provide daughters with a better education

• Parents value education

• Parental Dedication and Motivation– Memorizing words/Tests – Parent/Teacher Conferences

Idea Proficiency Test Scores

•4/13/04–Oral = D–Reading = 26–Writing = 16

•5/4/05–Oral = F–Reading = 38–Writing = 17

** Mahsa has gone from Non-English Proficient to English Proficient in 3 ½

years! **

Inner Function of Bilingualism

•Count = English•Pray = Arabic•Curse = Farsi•Dream = both Farsi and

English•Self Talk = Farsi

Communication

• Uses Farsi outside of school with her parents, sister, grandma, uncle, and friends in Iran

• Uses English in school with her friends and teachers and with her American aunt and 2 cousins

• Majority of TV programs are in Farsi

• Watches movies in English and Farsi

Hobbies:Field Hockey

PianoShopping

Baby-sittingReading

Class Picture at age 10 in Mashhad, Iran

Iranian Wedding Traditions

Mahsa’s cousins and aunts in Iran

County-Wide ESOL Fieldtrip to Assateague