This paper describes a research project investigating language and intercultural support for adult Syrian refugees in Ireland under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP).Learning the language of the host community has been identified as a crucial factor in resettlement satisfaction for adult refugees, with particular difficulties reported in relation to older refugees, women, and those with low levels of literacy. This paper focuses on the voices of twenty-six adult Syrian refugees concerning their ongoing acquisition of English and interactions with members of the local community in the one to two years since their arrival, exploring their views regarding the importance of learning English and their perceptions of what constitutes both useful language learning supports and particular challenges for them.Findings point to the importance of language acquisition for adult refugees not only in relation to their prospects for employment, social interaction, and access to accurate information but also in relation to their sense of personal well-being, dignity and autonomy. The research highlights the need for a flexible approach to language learning and teaching in this context, utilizing a range of technological and bilingual supports, which respond to the particular circumstances, complex needs and previous learning experiences of the learners.
The language teaching landscape in Ireland has changed considerably over the last 30 years as a result of substantial and sustained inward migration into the country during this period. These social and demographic developments have added to the country's already bilingual context and created a much more varied multilingual landscape than had existed in previous decades. They have also impacted various aspects of language teaching policy, provision and methods for both indigenous and foreign languages. This article reviews research on language teaching and learning in Ireland published during the period 2012–2021. We discuss relevant work disseminated primarily in peer-reviewed journals (national and international), as well as in books, commissioned reports and chapters in edited volumes. The research and policy documents presented concern the teaching and learning of Irish, English and Modern Foreign Languages as second and/or additional languages across all levels of education. They address language teacher training contexts as well. We believe that this review of research demonstrates the extent to which recent inquiries in these domains have advanced knowledge and practice in the Irish context, and have also informed the international research community more generally.
Since the 1990s, Ireland has experienced considerable immigration. Currently, 12% of its schoolchildren come from immigrant backgrounds. The majority of these children learn English as a second (additional) language (ESL/EAL). The Irish Department of Education and Skills (DES) provides a programme of English language support for young ESL learners. To guide this programme, English Language Proficiency Benchmarks were developed by Integrate Ireland Language and Training (IILT), a campus company of Trinity College, Dublin. IILT produced two sets of context-appropriate 'Benchmarks', for primary and secondary education, derived from the Council of Europe's Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This paper focuses on English L2 acquisition in Irish primary schools. It reports on how the primary level Benchmarks describe L2 proficiency development across CEFR levels A1, A2 and B1 in a manner sensitive to age/cognitive stage and curriculum requirements. It discusses assessment resources based on these Benchmarksa version of the European Language Portfolio (IILT 2004) and the Primary School Assessment Kit (DES 2007). These tools enable assessment of and assessment for learning and promote learner autonomy. Research conducted by the author of this paper (published in 2014) into the relation between learning outcomes expressed in the Benchmarks and immigrant children's English L2 acquisition is presented. It reports on mixed-methods analysis of data from a longitudinal study of L2 acquisition involving 18 children, aged four to ten years, from ten language backgrounds (including Croatian and Serbian). The children's acquisition of English oral and literacy skills indicate that the Benchmarks appropriately describe L2 proficiency development. Individual and interactional influences on L2 acquisition and their pedagogical implications are discussed. The paper considers how CEFRrelated approaches can support language learning, teaching and assessment in an intercultural educational environment.
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