Open AccessAddressing the Need for Language Support for the Migrant and Refugee Community in the East Midlands, U.K.
Author(s) -
Cora Lindsay,
Renata Seredyńska-Abou-Eid
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
as. andragoška spoznanja/andragoška spoznanja
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2350-4188
pISSN - 1318-5160
DOI - 10.4312/as.25.3.61-73
Subject(s) - refugee , feeling , government (linguistics) , political science , english language , public relations , health care , economic growth , sociology , nursing , medicine , psychology , linguistics , social psychology , mathematics education , philosophy , law , economics
For migrants and refugees, language is essential for dealing with officials, engaging with employment, receiving healthcare and feeling comfortable in a new environment. Despite this, there is no uniform approach to English language support for incoming migrants or refugees to the East Midlands. This paper discusses the situation regarding language provision for these communities and identifies the gaps in current language provision which derive from reductions in government funding over recent years. It looks at a mixed methods doctoral study that sought to identify the language needs of the Polish community in the region and describes a University of Nottingham initiative to address the gap in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision for adult learners, both migrants and refugees, in the Nottingham area.