Digital literacies for adult migrant and refugee settlement

Description

Digital literacies have been widely recognized as critically important for displaced adults moving to Australia as part of humanitarian and skilled migration programs both for settlement and employment. Digital literacies are vital for accessing key government services and information, establishing new networks, participating in relevant communities, finding and often doing a job, and continuing English language learning independently. In Australia, people from migrant and refugee backgrounds represent a comparatively large group and their digital inclusion in Australian society is not always easy and successful. This is not, perhaps, surprising: they often spend years in refugee camps, or come from countries with poor access to technologies due to wars and conflicts. They often have low household income and struggle with the affordability of technologies. Finally, they may have limited English language levels and emerging literacies in their home languages.

This program of research is designed to help policy makers, educational leaders and educators to better address the needs of adult migrant and refugee learners as they settle in Australia. The research draws on the fields of digital literacies and TESOL and breaks new ground in refining pedagogical principles for effective teaching of digital literacies to adult migrant and refugee English language learners.

Our project team has partnered with the Australian Department of Home Affairs, LWA, English language centres, educators from across Australia and professional bodies such as VicTESOL and Australian Council of TESOL Associations (ACTA). We also work directly in collaboration with adult learners in their home languages to better understand their needs, strengths and challenges.

Investigators

Funding source:
LWA and the Australian Department of Home Affairs

Duration:
2021 – 2023 (Completed)

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