PISA data shows that for immigrant students, arriving after 12 years of age makes education in the new language much harder. The article, in PISA In Focus No. 29, concludes that:
“More immediately, though, targeted help with language skills for those foreign-born students who arrive when they’re in their teens can limit the need for future assistance; and flexible arrangements to defer tracking can help to ensure that students perform at their full potential when decisions are taken about further education. Both measures will have a direct impact on these students’ employment prospects later on.”
For the full article, please follow this link: PISA in Focus No. 29: Do immigrant students’ reading skills depend on how longthey have been in their new country?