HOW CAN CULTURALLY DIVERSE CHILDREN PRESERVE THEIR MOTHER TONGUE AND ENHANCE THEIR SECOND LANGUAGE SKILLS-A STUDY OF FAMILY INVOLVEMENT FOR CHINESE MIGRANTS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

This paper undertakes a review of international and national literature on bilingual education in order to reveal the extent of family involvement for purposes of good practice and further development of the language skills of bilingual children in Northern Ireland. The paper not only explores the present situation for the children of Chinese migrants, while highlighting the distinctiveness of the mother language and the particular opportunities and challenges of preserving it, but also concludes with recommendations for the ongoing development of their second language.