Language no barrier for Polish pupil

With thousands of Eastern Europeans settling in Scotland in recent years, much has been made of the

With thousands of Eastern Europeans settling in Scotland in recent years, much has been made of the extra pressure put on public services.

Schools, hospitals and even courts have had to bring in interpreters and support workers in a bid to ensure equal access for Polish, Lithuanian, and Romanian migrant workers.

But at one school in North Lanarkshire, Polish pupils and parents have been getting much of the help they need from an unlikely source.

Wictor Zaborowski is 13-years-old, and when he came to Scotland in 2007 from Lublim in the east of Poland he could speak just a few words of English.

Now he acts as the in-school interpreter for his Polish classmates at St Andrew's High School in Coatbridge.

Wictor told the BBC Scotland news website: "I moved here with my parents, sister, and dog a year and a half ago.

"I was very nervous when I started school as it was so big and I could not speak any English. My sister and I were the first Polish pupils here so we had no-one else to talk to.

"I learned English very quickly and within one month I knew more than I did after a year of studying it at school in Poland."

Wictor said the key to his success was immersing himself in the language.

He added: "I have lots and lots of friends and I listened to them speaking English."

North Lanarkshire, like other local authorities across Scotland, has experienced an influx of Polish children to its schools over the past few years.

There are 20 Polish children currently studying at St Andrew's. They receive basic English lessons from a linguist from the council's bilingual unit and extra help in classes from pupil support teachers within the school.

However, there is no dedicated Polish speaker or interpreter to assist students.

And that is where Wictor comes in.

Not only does he help his Polish classmates out - he is also on hand to provide translations when parents come to enrol their children.

Depute head teacher Margaret Colgan explained: "Yesterday, for example, we had a new first-year come in with her mum and dad and none of them had any English so Victor did the translations.

"Another Polish girl in his class, who has very little English, had her options interview to pick her subjects for Standard Grades. Wictor sat in and helped out."

But as the Polish community within the school continues to grow Wictor says that might make learning English even harder.

He said: "The Polish pupils tend to stick together and will sit together in classes and at lunch and break. Then they are only speaking Polish and not learning English.

"I learned quickly because I spoke to lots of the Scottish pupils."

Kuba Bochno, 13, moved to Coatbridge a month ago but had been at a school in Wishaw before that.

He said: "Wictor really helped me. He showed me about this big school and he explained things when I didn't understand."

Wictor's contribution to the school community at St Andrew's has not gone unnoticed.

In fact he has been shortlisted for a Young Scot Award in the Cultural Diversity category.

Explaining why she had nominated him, principal teacher of pupil support Pauline Morrison said: "Wictor very quickly adapted to the culture here. He is like a wee sponge. He just absorbs everything and is so keen to learn and so enthusiastic.

"He has taken the other Polish children under his wing and without him some of them would not have come on so well with their English."

Wictor is among 40 young people from across Scotland shortlisted for the Young Scot 2009 Awards. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in April.

Wictor said: "I am excited and very proud to be considered a Young Scot. But my mum and dad told me that no matter what happens I am winner already."

source of www.news.bbc.co.uk