CYP Now - Language support: No more language barriers

Moving to another country is a huge transition for any child and when you don't speak English it can be isolating. But services do exist to help, as Soraya Ebrahimi-Calik reports.

"I am happy using both Turkish and English now. At first, I didn't likeschool because I didn't understand English and couldn't make anyfriends. Now I love it. I have lots of friends and my favourite subjectis science," says Cerkez, a seven-year-old Kurdish boy. Although born inthe UK, Cerkez was raised in a Turkish-speaking household, so when hestarted school he could speak little English, which made it hard for himto keep up with his work and make friends.

But all this has changed thanks to the support of his school, King OffaPrimary in Bexhill-on-Sea, and East Sussex County Council's English asan additional language service. Now in Year 3, Cerkez is on track togain Level 4 in his SATs and fellow pupils recently elected him as theirschool council representative.

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