SEN-CIT: The sensitization of citizens in the field of immigrants' and refugees’ inclusion to the hosting society (Exchange of good practices in adult education)

The Methodology of Informal Language Learning for Immigrants

Project Name and ID

SENCIT: The sensitization of citizens in the field of immigrants' and refugees’ inclusion to the hosting society (Exchange of good practices in adult education)” 2018-1-PL01-KA204-050850

Project Scope 

The central aim of the project is to develop and pilot sensitization methods and tools, addressed to the hosting society in the participating countries. Project partners compile and exchange good practices for sensitization of local community as it regards to migrant and refugees’ inclusion process.

Good Practice Example

Title of activity

The Methodology of Informal Language Learning for Immigrants

Description and scope of activity: 

“The methodology of informal learning for immigrants. Language Café, Tandem®, Virtual Language Café” was developed under Lifelong Learning Programme project number 517555-LLP-1-2011-1-GR-GRUNDTVIG-GMP: "Methodology for informal language learning for immigrants. Guide for the facilitators and organizers of the sessions".

Then the methodology has been adapted to Polish Partner organization – Fundacja Ad Meritum – under Erasmus+ strategic partnership project 2014-1-PL01-KA204-003519: "Methodology for informal labor market language learning for immigrants and low-skilled citizens, Including adults 50+".

As the acronym of the project it was chose the Greek world: METIKOS. METIKOS is the Greek word for a person that leaves his city (or country) in order to go to another. It has been selected as the acronym of the project in order to give emphasis to the life of the immigrants that are obliged to leave their country and move to another and all the difficulties that they face in that process. 

Working method used:

METIKOS:
The aim of the original methodology is to provide the individuals and organisations that are interested to organise informal language learning for immigrants, useful information that will help them to organise these sessions in the most efficient way. We focuse on three informal language learning methodologies that have been adapted in order to serve the specific interests of immigrants: language café, Tandem® and Cyber Language Café. The methodology includes the following parts: history of each one of the approaches, how to select an appropriate location, at what time and dates, how the groups should be formed, what is the role of the facilitator, how the first session should be organised, which activities can be organised in the framework of these sessions, how evaluation should be organised etc.
The methodology also includes useful information to improve the cultural awareness of the facilitator, to improve his/her ability to facilitate a discussion, to build the confidence of the participants in the sessions, to deal with groups of varying abilities and to correct the errors in the language more effectively. It also includes issues regarding the financial sustainability of the informal sessions.

METIKOS 2:
The adapted methodology expands METIOKS’s solutions and moves them into a new language area and to a wider group of customers. A new language area is the language of the labor market, and an the additional target group, in addition to immigrants, are the citizens with low qualifications, including those 50+. The solutions we adapted can be used simultaneously by both groups of recipients, if subject and type of activity supports, or separately, especially in the case of aspects related to the acquisition of language skills. 

Outcomes:

Facilitation of social inclusion of the immigrants in EU’s societies, increasing their skills in the language of their host country and involving the citizens in the process of integration thanks to promoting the use of informal learning methodologies of language café, Tandem® and Cyber Language Café for immigrants’ integration to hosting society.

Participants’ Testimonies: 

The description of a Language Café at Dunkirk (France) encapsulates the spirit and atmosphere of many of the cafes we reviewed.
‘each week in a friendly atmosphere you can participate in discussions in the foreign language of your choice sitting comfortably with a drink in your hand. Based on the principles of free expression and exchange, the language café allows each person to choose their own topics of discussion. No set theme or obligation to attend, each person organises his evening as he wishes, immersed in an intercultural and intergenerational environment.’ 

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication (communication) reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Project number: 2018-1-PL01-KA204-050850