Digital Tools and Language Acquisition for Newly Arrived Migrant Children: A Multiple-Case Study in Urban Primary Schools

This study examined how six newly arrived migrant primary school children engaged with four digital language tools within a scaffolded literacy programme across two Australian schools. Qualitative multiple-case analysis identified three theoretically interpretable cross-case patterns: L1-mediated scaffolding facilitated L2 engagement consistent with ZPD principles; multimodal digital storytelling produced the most marked vocabulary development; and perceived ease of use, as predicted by TAM, moderated independent tool adoption. These findings address an identified gap in classroom-based evidence for digital language support in newly arrived migrant primary populations, and provide a grounded empirical basis for more strategically designed technology-enhanced language programmes. The implications extend beyond the classroom to school policy and system-level practice. As migration patterns continue to diversify the linguistic landscape of primary schools in Australia and comparable contexts, the capacity of educators to deploy technology-enhanced scaffolding in theoretically informed ways is likely to become an increasingly important dimension of educational equity.

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