Reception lessons and magic of learning in diversity
Did you know that in Portuguese schools there are classes for students who have recently arrived from other parts of the world, with different languages and cultures? Have you ever wondered how these students, often without controlling the Portuguese language, integrate into our educational system? These are the chapters of welcome, which is a unique educational space, where linguistic and cultural diversity is a starting point for an educational process full of challenges, but also with great opportunities.
Written by Pelisanda Tafawi and Rosa Maria Vanika *
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What makes the teacher a “good” teacher in these special circumstances? According to the principles of Professor Pedro Drue that, the good teacher is the teacher who raises, with passion and enthusiasm, the taste of knowledge. But how does this apply to a semester where students hardly speak the tongue of the school? Is it just a passion for adequate teaching to overcome the linguistic barrier? It can create sedition by learning, without confidence in the capabilities of each student and respect for his educational pace, wrong expectations.
Imagine a semester entry as there is no traditional school evidence. Students, many other countries, shy appearance, wonder, “How do you learn like this?” The initial surprise becomes a challenge. Here, learning is similar to the use of rubber: it erases, rewrites, and throughout the process, knowledge is designed. Some get used to faster, others take a little longer, but everyone realizes the importance of mastering new skills in the constantly changing reality. And little by little, students remain and learn.
Diversity in welcoming layers is not only linguistic, but also cultural and emotional. Each student carries his own story, often characterized by forced travel and radical changes in life. These semesters receive us at different times of September, November, January, or until April-and it becomes a participation space, as longing is reduced through conversations in multiple languages.
The role of the teacher in this scenario is more than teaching the Portuguese language; It is building bridges between cultures, mediation in fears and doubts, and creating an environment that each student feels. In these classrooms, teachers amend their educational practices on individual needs, and enhance learning through projects and activities that adapt to their capabilities. At the same time, they encourage open dialogue, helping students to develop linguistic and social skills that will prepare them for a community life in the host country.
But is the Portuguese education system ready to deal with these facts? Reception lessons, which framing legally by regulations such as Decree No. 139/2012, which are integrated into programs such as the Promotion of National Schools Promotion, showed positive results. However, success not only depends on laws or programs, but on the ability of each school and every teacher to adapt to the characteristics of each student.
What these seasons appear in the end is that comprehensive education is possible, but it requires dedication and flexibility, and above all, the point of view that all students are able to learn, regardless of their origin or their initial difficulties. What if more schools adopt this reception form? Would we not build a more fair and fair educational system?
Success stories that leave these chapters are evidence that the challenge is worth it. Each student, at first, barely sought the Portuguese speaking, who struggled to accompany the classroom, who is now dominating his language and completely integrating in school, is a victory not only for the entire school community. It is evidence that with the right support, everyone can dream and achieve academic success.
In the background, what these reception classes have learned is that when teaching is comprehensive and focuses on the real needs of students, there are no barriers that cannot be overcome. After all, as Professor Pedro Dorie Da said it is, the good teacher is, who, with passion, can pass on to his students the magic of this discovery. And when this discovery includes building a new life in a new country, the effect is deeper.
* Coaches in the Education and Technology Center in the formation of trainers (CIDTFF) from Affiro University. The material was originally published on the UA.pt.
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