An Ethnographic Survey Of Migrant Children's School Life In Hangzhou

Migrant children have constituted a growing and significant proportion of the total number of school-aged children in urban schools in China.Many studies have been conducted on different aspects of such children,yet,most of them lack in-depth field research.This study uses the ethnographic approach to probeinto migrant children's study and life based on their English learning.I chose four typical migrant children of different levels in English proficiency as my subjects.The methods I employed to collect data included:observations,interviews,visits to their parents,teachers and classmates.Then I used narrative inquiry to narrate their study and life.Data analysis shows that such children have some common features:Firstly,they are very helpful with a heart of kindness and gratitude.Secondly,they all wish to get good academic performance in order to get good jobs and improve their family status and economic conditions.Thirdly,in most cases their parents are unable to provide academic help for them.They also show differences.Firstly,successful English learners are more interested in English study itself,while unsuccessful learners learn English just for utilitarian purposes.Secondly,successful learners can take advantage of effective learning strategies,including self-regulation,while unsuccessful learners do not have clear plans for their study or do not make much effort to improve English.Thirdly,the parents of successful learners have good expectations of such children and show effective parenting styles towards them.Their active involvement in their children's study and life play important role in their studies.Besides,their unusual optimism and perseverance when facing big economic pressure greatly encourage their children to overcome difficulties in their study and life.While the parents of unsuccessful learners lack these positive factors.It is hoped that this research will help people have better understanding of migrant children.Equal treatment of such children needs to be provided in terms of educational facilities and policies.Such children need more love and care not only from their teachers and parents,but from the society at large.