Francisca

Francisca

When did you come to Australia?

I came to Australia when I was young, not in this town but in another place. I started school in an Independent school, but after 2 years my parents moved me to a larger primary school because there was good support for students with learning English as a second language. I moved to this town and a new school in year 9 and I’ll finish school here.

What language do you speak at home?

We speak Portuguese at home. My dad does also speak English. My Mum understands English but she doesn’t speak English very often. And my older siblings also only speak a little bit of English. My younger sister and I can speak English to each other – and we do if we are arguing.

When you are listening to English do you translate?

I can understand English straight away now.

What about the future?

Well my parents expect that I will do well. They have done a lot – like they moved halfway across the world for us. So it’s important to work hard and be ready to take opportunities that my parents might not have had when they were younger.

*These profiles are constructed from real interviews, but are not direct transcriptions.