Abstract:

The rising numbers of forcibly displaced people on the move globally and the challenges with providing access to education reflect the shifting and complex times that we live in. More particularly, the increasing number of migrants and refugees arriving in Europe places new demands on European education systems, specifically regarding civic engagement and the participation of refugees in educational and training opportunities. In many EU countries, linguistic education is limited and generally designed to let refugees reach only a basic level of language knowledge. As a consequence, more appropriate materials and methods are needed.

To foster inclusion, second language teaching must cater to learners’ sociolinguistic needs and transnational negotiations of identity. The most powerful tool of social inclusion in society and community is language. A better understanding of how we learn and adjust our emotions through language is fundamental when we learn a second language. The recent technological tools offer the opportunity to simulate communicative situations and handle emotions through the use of language. The use of the XR technological tools could offer experiences of a totally virtual world (VR), a close experience of reality (AR) and a blended experience of VR and reality (MR).

This study focuses on identifying the needs and challenges of refugee women or women with fewer opportunities to participate in education in a host country and develop language skills. Using a quantitative approach through a survey, we aimed first to map the state of the art in language education for refugee women and second to identify the needs and challenges in an attempt to provide opportunities for learning and training to this target group of learners. A total of 26 language instructors participated in the survey, highlighting the teaching and learning gaps in developing the language skills of refugee women. The results demonstrate a strong will to learn and implement various technological tools in lesson practices. Most participants already practice teaching with technology through various applications and tools. However, only a small percentage use extended reality (XR) tools in their teaching and learning practices, while most still need to learn XR applications for language learning.

The paper contributes to the regional, national and European discussion on issues of lifelong learning and continuing education, with particular attention to target groups who are excluded or cannot attend for various reasons of participating in language courses.

Keywords:

XR, Language teaching, Adult Education, Refugees, technology.