The needs of adult immigrants in Europe for social inclusion through language education

Abstract

Learning the language of the host country plays a significant role in the social life of migrants regardless of their age, gender or cultural background since it is the key to their integration into different dimensions of the social life from the labour market to education or simple daily interactions. This multi-dimensional integration may give rise to a socially cohesive and productive society. The study aimed to investigate the needs of adult immigrants in Europe for their social inclusion through language education. It was based on the survey method and adopted the qualitative research design. For this purpose, the data were collected via a structured questionnaire and a detailed review of literature. For the data analysis, after the pre-analysis, the coding system was administered. The results have revealed that learning the official language at a basic level is not enough for adult immigrants to integrate into the host society; they are actually in need of a comprehensive and multidisciplinary language teaching program comprising both in-class and out of class activities for real engagement and some personal experience in everyday situations in the new socio-cultural environment.

Keywords

• adult immigrants; European society; social inclusion; language teaching program; multidisciplinary program; socio-cultural engagement

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