https://how2learnl2.eu/how2learnl2.eu/
After migration to a European country, adult refugees and other migrants are expected to learn the language of their host country. Many succeed in this endeavor, but for others this is easier said than done. This applies especially to those people with little or no education in their home countries.
Who are these people?Due to war, displacement and poverty, there is still a substantial group of people not being able to attend school. The UN reported in 2023 that 78 million children do not go to school. These children will eventually be adults, and they may become adults who did not learn how to read and write. Figures from European countries on their civic integration population are surprisingly messy, but an estimated 15-20% of adult migrants did not attend primary school, or only for a limited number of years. This group often did not learn how to read and write in their first language and after migration, they face the dual challenge of learning a new language and learning how to read and write in that new language.
Why is this hard?When children start learning to read and write in their home language, they can already speak the language they start reading and writing. This allows them to monitor the process. They know if their interpretation of a word or a text is feasible. A second language learner has a way more limited command of oral skills (listening, speaking) and knows way less words. Therefore, they are less able to monitor the process, to predict meaning, etc. Moreover, it takes a lot of time and intensive practice to improve literacy skills – both the technical skills for dealing with the alphabet as well as dealing with written information, even more for adults than for children. Literacy courses often do not offer the intensity and duration which is needed.
What is the state of the art? In many European countries, migrants with limited educational background are placed in literacy groups, although there are also countries which do not provide and literacy tuition and expect learners to catch up with reading and writing without any specific instruction. The classroom practice in the literacy classes can be diverse. Often, there is a strong focus on learning how to read. In many countries there is a paucity of learning materials focusing on adult learners. And the question: how do we learn a language, is seldom addressed.
What does our project aim for?The project How to learn a language (H2L2) focusses on language learning as a process. We aim at co-constructing language learning strategies with adult literacy learners. Based on an extensive literature base from the context of educated language learners, we assume that strategies are useful and even needed to effectively learn a new language. We also assume that adult literacy learners may have strategy preferences different from their highly educated teachers. Differences may occur as a result of cultural background: many refugee communities are assumed to rely strongly on co-operation and community whereas in many countries in the global North, individual achievements are strongly valued. Differences may also occur as a result of different educational backgrounds between teachers and learners. Learning at school is usually abstract, relies strongly on printed materials and comes with a gap between learning and application of knowledge: it requires transfer. Learning in life on the contrary, is hands-on learning, it is learning while doing it. Hence, we assume that adult second language and literacy learners may have specific strategy preferences. The H2L2 project puts learners at the center of their learning and aims at co-creating learning strategies that work for them.
PartnershipH2L2 is an Erasmus+ KA2-strategic partnership in which the following organizations take part: Second Chance School of Mytilene (Greece), Orient Express (Austria), C.P.I.A. Sede di Ancona and Universita Degli Studi Di Macerata (Italy), TopTaal NT2 Experts, Kaatje Dalderop and ITTA UvA (The Netherlands).
Who are these people?Due to war, displacement and poverty, there is still a substantial group of people not being able to attend school. The UN reported in 2023 that 78 million children do not go to school. These children will eventually be adults, and they may become adults who did not learn how to read and write. Figures from European countries on their civic integration population are surprisingly messy, but an estimated 15-20% of adult migrants did not attend primary school, or only for a limited number of years. This group often did not learn how to read and write in their first language and after migration, they face the dual challenge of learning a new language and learning how to read and write in that new language.
Why is this hard?When children start learning to read and write in their home language, they can already speak the language they start reading and writing. This allows them to monitor the process. They know if their interpretation of a word or a text is feasible. A second language learner has a way more limited command of oral skills (listening, speaking) and knows way less words. Therefore, they are less able to monitor the process, to predict meaning, etc. Moreover, it takes a lot of time and intensive practice to improve literacy skills – both the technical skills for dealing with the alphabet as well as dealing with written information, even more for adults than for children. Literacy courses often do not offer the intensity and duration which is needed.
What is the state of the art? In many European countries, migrants with limited educational background are placed in literacy groups, although there are also countries which do not provide and literacy tuition and expect learners to catch up with reading and writing without any specific instruction. The classroom practice in the literacy classes can be diverse. Often, there is a strong focus on learning how to read. In many countries there is a paucity of learning materials focusing on adult learners. And the question: how do we learn a language, is seldom addressed.
What does our project aim for?The project How to learn a language (H2L2) focusses on language learning as a process. We aim at co-constructing language learning strategies with adult literacy learners. Based on an extensive literature base from the context of educated language learners, we assume that strategies are useful and even needed to effectively learn a new language. We also assume that adult literacy learners may have strategy preferences different from their highly educated teachers. Differences may occur as a result of cultural background: many refugee communities are assumed to rely strongly on co-operation and community whereas in many countries in the global North, individual achievements are strongly valued. Differences may also occur as a result of different educational backgrounds between teachers and learners. Learning at school is usually abstract, relies strongly on printed materials and comes with a gap between learning and application of knowledge: it requires transfer. Learning in life on the contrary, is hands-on learning, it is learning while doing it. Hence, we assume that adult second language and literacy learners may have specific strategy preferences. The H2L2 project puts learners at the center of their learning and aims at co-creating learning strategies that work for them.
PartnershipH2L2 is an Erasmus+ KA2-strategic partnership in which the following organizations take part: Second Chance School of Mytilene (Greece), Orient Express (Austria), C.P.I.A. Sede di Ancona and Universita Degli Studi Di Macerata (Italy), TopTaal NT2 Experts, Kaatje Dalderop and ITTA UvA (The Netherlands).
