Learner-Centred Education for Adult Migrants in Europe: A Critical Comparative Analysis contributes to the field of Adult Education by investigating the ways in which Learner-Centred Education (LCE) is being enacted, implemented or neglected in specific settings.

Explores debates around learner-centred education (or child-centred education) as a strategy for developing teachers' classroom practice and asks whether a 'Western' construct is appropriate for application in all societies and classrooms.

Adult migrants who received little or no formal education in their home countries face a unique set of challenges when attempting to learn the languages of their new countries. Few adult migrants with limited or no literacy in their native languages successfully attain higher levels of literacy in their additional languages, even if they attain high levels of oral proficiency. This book, the result of a European- and United States-wide collaborative research project, aims to assist teachers working with adult migrants to address this attainment gap and help students reach the highest possible levels of literacy in their new languages. The chapters provide the latest research-informed evidence on the acquisition of linguistic competence and the development of reading in a new language by adults. The book concludes with a chapter that addresses the challenges and opportunities faced by this group of learners and their teachers, with specific instructional strategies that can be used. The book will be an invaluable resource for teachers, tutors and training providers, as well as volunteers, who work with adult migrants.

Migration is an old, perhaps perpetual, phenomenon. Currently, it is an urgent challenge involving huge numbers of people who leave their home in search of a better life. Differences in language, customs, and norms are often joined by specific manifestations of xenophobia born of particular differences between host countries and their current influx of migrants. In a pronounced way, then, migration reveals important societal questions・of solidarity, of identity, of transition and transformation, of human rights and obligations. The explorations in this collection highlight individual stories of migrants, showcase innovative research methods, and explore concepts and theories that might be usefully applied toward learning needs in a migration society. Including insights from scholars across 14 different countries, this book offers an international perspective on the role of adult education in addressing migration. Such international comparisons hold great potential for seeing new possibilities in any single country, whether in Europe, North America, or across the world.

The linguistic integration of migrants affects every aspect of settling in a new country (employment, health, etc.). The aim of this collection of texts is to propose a number of specific measures member states can take to help adult migrants become acquainted with the language of the host country. The main focus is on organising language courses that meet migrants’ real communication needs. It is not enough for authorities simply to consider the technical aspects of such courses, they should also design and conduct them in accordance with the fundamental values of the Council of Europe. A number of issues concerning the linguistic integration of adult migrants are presented here, beginning with the notion of linguistic integration itself. Family reunion, the nature of citizenship and the function of language tests, among others, are dealt with from the point of view of language and language use. Readers are invited to reflect on the type of language competences that need to be acquired as well as an appropriate use of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The collection also sets out approaches and instruments designed to assist in implementing effective policies.

Living and working in a host country is challenging both for the host country as well as for the incoming migrants. Therefore, integration activities are essential for easing the transition. This book examines various practices of integrating migrants in European countries from national, organizational and individual perspectives.

The European Language Portfolio aims to foster the development of learner autonomy, intercultural awareness and plurilingualism. Teachers of particular languages working on their own can use the ELP to promote learner autonomy, but the goals of intercultural awareness and plurilingualism invite us to use the ELP in all foreign language classes at all levels in the school. The guide introduces the language education policy that underpins the ELP, explores the key concepts that it embodies, and explains how to plan, implement and evaluate whole-school ELP projects. The ten case studies published on the project website illustrate various dimensions of ELP use and include practical suggestions and activities for teachers and learners.