Twentieth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

During the last few decades, a great number of people have moved from one state to another in order to improve their living conditions is a common occurrence in human societies. The framework and procedures that regulate this possibility, usually the result of economic choices of the host state, define a complex range of socio-cultural relations. The host countries of refugees are facing a great number of difficulties related to refugee’s education. The finding of school buildings, the educational staff who are trained and fully informed about the needs of these children, and of course the appropriate educational material for young pupils, who usually do not speak the language of instruction. The term multilingualism refers to a communication framework in which more than two languages come into contact and members of a group communicate in more than two languages, which may be due to a variety of factors. It is Williams (2002:40) who argued that translanguaging is “an active educational process through which the use of one language enhances the other”. This study considers this process, which aims to develop understanding in order to evolve the skills of students in both languages.