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.

Language skills foster, among other things, social inclusion, access to education and employment. Within this context, non-literate or low-literate migrants have specific educational needs. This reference guide is meant for language educators, curriculum designers and language policy makers in their endeavour to design, implement, evaluate and improve curricula tailored toward the specific needs of non- and low-literate adult migrants. This group of migrants faces the complex and demanding task of learning a language while either learning to read and write for the first time or developing their literacy skills. They rarely receive adequate instruction in terms of hours of tuition and targeted teaching approaches, whereas they are very often requested to take a compulsory written test. The reference guide contains: a definition of target users and learners; the rationale related to the development of the descriptors; principles for teaching literacy and second languages; scales and tables of descriptors; aspects of curriculum design at the macro, meso and micro levels and recommendations on assessment procedures and tools within the learning environment. The guide also contains descriptors that build on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and the CEFR Companion volume up to the A1 level for adult migrants, with special attention given to literacy learners.

Report on the 2018 Council of Europe and ALTE survey on language and knowledge of society policies for migrants Migration is one of the most contentious issues in current international politics. To better understand this issue, the Council of Europe conducted an extensive survey among Council of Europe member states on requirements regarding language and knowledge of society that migrants must meet to obtain access to the country, residency or citizenship. This report, based on that survey, will be relevant to anybody interested in migration and language policy. It pays particular attention to vulnerable learner groups and the degree to which member states provide migrants with adequate learning opportunities. In addition to discussing current trends, it also shows that language and knowledge of society requirements were gradually made stricter between 2007 and 2018. Based on the survey results and on available research, the authors formulate a number of policy recommendations, emphasising the importance of providing adequate learning opportunities and warning against requirements that might hinder, rather than foster, integration.

A world of diversity brings along the necessity for multilingual perspectives. People must unite and understand each other more than ever before to overcome the challenges of miscommunication across borders. Today’s educators aim to value linguistic diversity in their daily curriculums to encourage emotional intelligence and empathy for new generations to alter the world into a more civilized and peaceful setting. Global and Transformative Approaches Toward Linguistic Diversity discusses pedagogical approaches to including linguistic diversity in a classroom setting. This book also explores questions and critiques on linguistic diversity as well as themes and thematic questions. Covering topics such as grammatical diversity, multilingualism, and semantic transfer, it serves as an essential resource for pre-service teachers, policymakers, faculty and administration of both K-12 and higher education, TESOL scholars, multilingual writers, activists, linguists, educators, researchers, and academicians.

The work of the Council of Europe in plurilingual and intercultural education is highly influential in Europe and beyond and has been so for many years. The Common European Framework of Reference and its Companion Volume, and related instruments, provide ways in which to implement policies and a broader vision of providing quality and equity in education across the curriculum, a vision which incorporates the core values of the Council of Europe and which educates children and young people to be plurilingual, intercultural and democratic citizens. This book presents this educational vision, demonstrates how it can be realised through the application of Council of Europe instruments in practice, and does so in a way which is easily and quickly accessible to teachers of all subjects and in all educational institutions, as well as to other educationists, including policymakers.

This collection of empirical work offers an in-depth exploration of key issues in the education of adolescents and adults with refugee backgrounds residing in North America, Australia and Europe. These studies foreground student goals, experiences and voices, and reflect a high degree of awareness of the assets that refugee-background students bring to schools and broader society. Chapters are clustered according to the two themes of Language and Literacy, and Access and Equity. Each chapter includes a discussion of context, researcher positionality and implications for educators, policy-makers and scholars.

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.