“Second Language Teaching with Refugees: Educational Experiences and Welcoming Environments”

Silvia Scolaro; Matilde  Tomasi

doi:10.29333/ejecs/2215

Authors

Silvia Scolaro Università Ca' Foscari https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3119-4704
Matilde Tomasi https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3594-4564

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2215

Keywords:

Humanizing language teaching practices with refugees, refugees’ language teaching, refugees’ language learning, humanizing pedagogy, refugees well-being in the language classroom

Abstract

This qualitative research aims to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between previous schooling experiences and second language learning among a group of adult refugees and asylum seekers. Refugees and asylum seekers present unique challenges to educators in host countries. Issues related to forced migration, low literacy levels, cultural estrangement are among the many challenges encountered (Shapiro et al., 2019). These multiple small case studies were conducted at a school in Northern Italy. The paper examines the refugees' educational histories and explores how humanizing teaching practices can facilitate both teaching and learning (Freire, 1970/2018; Pasquarella et al., 2022). Through one-on-one interviews and a focus group, the authors found that the refugees’ educational backgrounds were markedly different. The analysis reveals that previous schooling experiences and challenging living conditions shaped the refugees' attitudes toward education. Despite these challenges, participants affirmed that the humanistic approach adopted by the teachers was effective in alleviating the anxieties and fears about language learning of many refugees, helping to bridge an important gap in language teaching across cultures.

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Author Biographies

Silvia Scolaro, Università Ca' Foscari

Silvia Scolaro is a PhD candidate in Language Sciences at Ca’ Foscari University in Venice, where she had previously worked for the Department of Comparative Linguistic and Cultural Studies as a researcher from 2019 to 2023 and as a lecturer at the School for International Education. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Oriental Languages at Ca' Foscari and Master’s degrees (I and II level) in Teaching Italian to Foreigners at the ITALS Laboratory. Prior to this she has worked at other Italian Universities (Pavia, Modena, Reggio Emilia) teaching Italian language to foreign students. From 2006 to 2012 she worked in the People's Republic of China teaching the Italian language.

Matilde Tomasi

Matilde Tomasi is a teacher, specialized in teaching Italian as a second language. She graduated in Intercultural studies with a focus on language teaching, at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. She has been teaching adults since 2011 and has mainly taught vulnerable migrants, such as refugees, asylum seekers, and foreign women. Her main interests in the field of adult education are autobiographical and narrative methods and literacy teaching for illiterate adult migrants. She often attends further training and conferences. She has collaborated with Silvia Scolaro to publish some papers.

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