Improving English Language and Computer Literacy Skills in an Adult Refugee Program

Abstract

The study reported in this article explores ways of improving English language proficiency and computer literacy skills of adult refugees in a community program. For the adult refugee program, two main issues were considered and addressed: (1) the teaching of English as a second language (ESL) to adults with very limited English language proficiency and (2) the development of computer literacy skills of adults with no or very little computer experience. Main teaching strategies used for this focus group were repetition, incidental learning and the use of freeware such as games and word puzzles downloaded from the Internet. By examining data collected from questionnaires, interviews and tests, the study looks at and discusses the opportunity of using the computer as an educational tool during contact sessions and participants" experience with computer-assisted language learning (CALL) activities. The results of the study indicate that the computer can be used to encourage participants in a refugee program to engage with their learning and online activities are helpful for them in improving their English language proficiency and computer literacy skills. IntroductionThere is little literature that documents specific language and literacy issues that African refugees face when they attempt to settle in Australia. Research is therefore needed to develop programs and resources to meet the educational needs of the refugee group (Brown, Miller & Mitchell, 2006). On-going civil wars in countries such as Sudan over the past two decades have resulted in major humanitarian crises (Brown, Miller & Mitchell, 2006;Menkhaus & Prendergast, 1999) There is a significant linguistic and cultural diversity among the refugees. Although Arabic is the official language of Sudan, it is spoken as a first language only in the North of Sudan. Dinka, Nuer, Shilluk, Zande and Bari are main languages of Southern Sudan (Rutter cited in Brown, Miller & Mitchell, 2006). Brown, Miller and Mitchell (2006) report that, because many Sudanese refugees have interrupted or no substantive schooling, "many of the refugees have little or no literacy in either a first or second language prior to arrival" (p. 151). In a way of responding to the literacy issue, this article describes a community program offered for adult female Sudanese refugees in a rural Queensland city and explores ways of improving the refugees" English as a second language (ESL) and computer literacy skills in the program. BackgroundMany Sudanese refugees spent several years in refugee camps in Kenya and Egypt where they had interrupted schooling and limited or no opportunity to develop their literacy skills (Hatoss & Sheely, 2009). Schweitzer, Melville, Steel and Lacherez (2006) argue, "Resettled refugees from Sudan evidenced a history of trauma ... and may constitute a particularly vulnerable group in terms of mental health outcomes. Culturally specific sequelae in terms of social isolation and acculturation may be particularly problematic for these migrants" (p. 1). It is cle...

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