Visual art, ESL students and social transition: Exploring innovative possibilities

Abstract

THIS ARTICLE EXPLORES THE WAYS in which visual art education, a core subject within primary education, might own a largely unforeseen additional benefit by being used in primary schools to support students learning English as a second language (ESL) in their social transition to mainstream classrooms. Social transition relates to the process by which these students gain access to the classroom community and become, in their own eyes and those of their peers, valued members of this community. The success of this transition is a key contributing factor to student motivation and engagement, along with linguistic and academic achievement. Within this context, visual art education is proposed as ..