The constant growth of methods of education that incorporate the Internet into teaching-learning processes has opened up a wide range of opportunities for students across the world to gain entry to undergraduate or graduate degree programs. However, if the enrolling student is a digital immigrant, the chances of success may be limited by the difficulty of using the Internet to communicate. More...

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...

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...

The development of the kinds of knowledge, attitudes and skills required for residence and citizenship purposes is a lifelong learning process for ALL members of society regardless of their official status. In the specific case of migrants, integration courses can usefully prepare them for essential independent acquisition beyond the course by providing appropriate information, awareness raising, practices and activities designed to foster their active participation and empowerment. This concept of (education for) citizenship does not lend itself to standard forms of evaluation. Plus...

Both terms are used interchangeably by international bodies (Council of Europe, European Union, Unesco etc.) and no specific scope has been identified for either. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), for example, uses ‘family reunion’ [e.g. in Recommendation 1686 (2004)] but more often “family reunification” [e.g. in Rec 1703 (2005)].
UNESCO defines “family reunion/reunification” as “the process of bringing together family members, particularly children, spouses and elderly dependents” in its Handbook of selected terms and concepts. The term reunification is used throughout this website. Plus...

Adult migrants are a heterogeneous group in which different literacy profiles can be identified. Among these profiles, various categories can be distinguished by taking account of migrants’ educational background. Each category is defined by a combination of features that are usually found together, though individuals are likely to vary within a particular category. Plus...

When designing course programmes for the occupational context, there are two opposing approaches, depending on whether one starts out from language teaching and moves towards the relevant occupational activity or, on the contrary, from holistic analysis of the work environment and moves towards the training intervention. The needs issue is fundamental in both approaches: communication needs, language needs and resulting training needs. Plus...

The Council of Europe has elaborated standard setting instruments and recommendations which set out the principles governing actions in the migration field. These are complemented by language policy guidelines and reference tools developed to support their effective implementation in an inclusive approach based on shared values and principles. Plus...