1. A Closer Look At Mahsa Hayley Minner Bilingualism

2. Background Information From Mashhad, Iran 8 th 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.

3. 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)

4. Family Support Goal was to provide daughters with a better education Parents value education Parental Dedication and Motivation –Memorizing words/Tests –Parent/Teacher Conferences

5. 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! **

6. Inner Function of Bilingualism Count = English Pray = Arabic Curse = Farsi Dream = both Farsi and English Self Talk = Farsi

7. 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

8. Hobbies: Field Hockey Piano Shopping Baby-sitting Reading

9. Class Picture at age 10 in Mashhad, Iran

10. Iranian Wedding Traditions

11. Mahsa’s cousins and aunts in Iran

12. County-Wide ESOL Fieldtrip to Assateague