Optional language tuition provided free of charge close to where migrants are living and without a test can be considered to be such a measure, whereas an obligatory course requirement that takes no account of personal circumstances and entails high costs may be an obstacle to family reunification. As regards family reunification, involving minors, the European Commission underlines that linguistic requirements are not in line with EU migration principles. Plus...

Work-related language training is therefore recommended when the need for communication in a work environment has been established. Nevertheless, the difficulties begin once the learner has signed up for this type of training, as it is necessary to devise specific courses similar to tailor-made courses. Another difficulty is that work-related language training often suffers because of confusion with courses for low-skill workers (basic knowledge and key competences) on the one hand and general language training provided for foreigners on the other. Plus...

Educational cultures are the framework in which educational activities take place. In the present case, however, the native teachers and the learners do not in principle share the same approaches. Different traditions have produced specific teaching practices, involving, for instance, clearly identified types of exercises such as replying orally to questions, doing written exercises or producing certain types of texts. Plus...

Language tests are not necessarily the most appropriate form of assessment to use with adult migrants, especially when linked to financial or social sanctions, because they can undermine motivation to learn. In some circumstances, particularly when assessment is associated with a language course, it may be preferable to use an alternative instrument, for example a portfolio. The European Language Portfolio is especially suitable for this purpose because it is explicitly linked to the categories of language use and the levels of proficiency described in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Plus...

This form of intercultural encounter is not as straightforward as it might seem, because it can cause superficial misunderstandings, and in particular can trigger ethno-centric reactions of automatic rejection. Educational measures that take account of this phenomenon should therefore be introduced. In order to foster acceptance of individuals from different cultures, schools must prepare all children, from nursery-school level onwards, for such acceptance. Plus...

The situations in which migrants and those in refugee-like situations find themselves can range, depending on their circumstances, from an urgent concern for practical issues of everyday life, such as finding somewhere to live or to stay temporarily or getting urgent medical attention, to finding a school for a child or being interviewed for a job once they are settled in a destination country. Such situations, and many others that are relevant to migrants’ lives, can form the basis of language learning ‘scenarios’. Plus...

However, this positive approach is not a universal feature of migrant language education. As recent surveys by the Council of Europe confirm, a number of countries impose conditions which can result in penalties or sanctions, if a migrant is considered not to meet the stated requirements. For example, irregular attendance at an obligatory language course may result in a reduction in financial or social benefits while failure to pass a test can lead to loss of a residence permit, or refusal of citizenship, or authorisation to enter a country for the purposes of family reunification. Plus...