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Language Enhancing the Achievement of Pasifika (LEAP)

Language Enhancing the Achievement of Pasifika (LEAP) is a resource that brings together key aspects of research about how to support bilingual Pasifika students’ learning. LEAP suggests practical ways you can explore language teaching and learning principles effective with bilingual Pasifika students.

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Tāhūrangi is the new online curriculum hub for Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education.

Guiding principles of LEAP

Language Enhancing the Achievement of Pasifika (LEAP) guiding principles embrace the learners' language ability and direct teachers to understand what is effective for bilingual learners.

LEAP principles

Bilingual students learn better when they can use their first or home language at school.

Students learn English as second language at school when they are taught in effective, focused ways compared to when they are left to "pick the language up".

To succeed at school, all students need to know and understand subject specific language. Consider the specific implications of this for bilingual students in your classroom.

Teachers are more effective when they:

  • understand how bilingual students learn
  • know and implement the principles of effective language teaching and learning.

Through deliberate, explicit instruction, you can make subject specific language accessible to your students.

The aims of the LEAP resource

The LEAP resource brings together key aspects of research about how to support bilingual Pasifika students’ learning, especially in relation to students’ Pasifika languages and English. The resource suggests ways in which teachers can:

  • explore, in practical ways, language teaching and learning principles effective for working with bilingual Pasifika students
  • address the particular learning needs of their bilingual Pasifika students
  • enhance the academic achievement of bilingual Pasifika students in mainstream New Zealand classrooms.

By using the LEAP resource, teachers can:

  • develop deeper knowledge of the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the bilingual Pasifika students
  • find ways to recognise and draw on Pasifika languages in the classroom
  • incorporate proven approaches and activities for second-language teaching into their classroom programmes
  • plan and implement classroom programmes that meet the needs of a range of bilingual Pasifika students.

How to use the LEAP resource

The LEAP resource is presented in five main sections:

Within each of the five sections, you will find information, examples, and suggested learning material. Use the ideas in in this resource to explore your own practice with bilingual Pasifika students in your classroom or school.

The LEAP resource complements key Ministry of Education teacher resources:

These documents include key guidance for teachers on the pedagogy of effective language teaching.

Supplementing LEAP is the Pasifika languages research and guidelines project: Literature review, which Franken, May, and McComish completed in 2005.

You can download the full PDF (562 KB).

Literature review (PDF, 562 kB)


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