Abstract
With the onset of the pandemic, there was a crop up of an increased proportion of community-based online English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes in Glasgow and elsewhere across Scotland to support the English language learning needs of refugees and asylum seekers. It is to be noted that in relation to community-based ESOL learning classes, Scottish integration strategy documents manifest that such opportunities to practice with native speakers outside formal classes can boost migrant integration, confidence, and skills development. However, in the post-pandemic era, provisions for such online classes for refugees and asylum seekers have decreased significantly as perceived needs and preferences seem to be higher for in-person classes. While such community-based online classes come with the challenges of lack of additional funding, digital literacy, accessibility, etc., however, these can play a vital role in promoting language education for refugees and asylum-seekers with intersectional identities. The study uses a narrative inquiry approach-including interviews, participant observation, and policy document analysis- to highlight the voices, agencies, and needs of the research participants in this regard. The findings highlight that such online classes and digital pedagogy, due to their potential to transcend beyond physical constraints, can promote social justice and social transformation for intersectional migrant groups with various disabilities, economic constraints, caregiving responsibilities, etc., who are often overlooked in such community-based integration processes. The study also presents an intersectional integration model which will help to merge the gap between theory, practices, and policies regarding ESOL provisions in community-based organizations in Scotland.
Presenters
Nishat TasneemStudent, Ph.D. in Social Work and Social Policy, University of Edinburgh, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Designing Social Transformations
KEYWORDS
Intersectionality, Social Justice, Migrant Integration, ESOL, Digital Pedagogy, Community-based Education
