Language Training for Adult Migrants

10. Build on new technologies in language learning

WHAT and WHY?

The use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) tools in education has enormous potential to expand the reach and cost-effectiveness of language learning for newcomers. E‑learning tools can complement – though not replace – face‑to-face‑learning. Thoughtful application of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) can allow language teachers to engage in greater differentiation according to the needs of individual migrants. They can increase migrant motivation simply by making the courses more varied and interesting. Integrating new technology in the classroom may reduce student-teacher contact hours and costs related to teaching work when coupled with appropriate organisational change. Moreover, CALL and distance learning can lead to better outcomes for language‑learners who relocate to remote areas where services are less readily available and can provide access to language training for pre‑departure migrants. Knowledge about what works best and in which contexts will be a prerequisite for harnessing these tools. Once they are in place, platforms can facilitate data collection that can enhance monitoring of teacher efforts and student results, information that can be used to further improve innovation and quality (bearing in mind the need to safeguard individual privacy). At the same time, policy makers must be aware of the potential barriers to use of such tools to avoid pitfalls in implementation.

Furthermore, the recent experience of the novel coronavirus (COVID‑19) pandemic has made evident the need for reliable distance learning in situations where in-person learning is impossible. Countries that had not developed distance learning found themselves faced with the need to identify partners and ramp up such programmes rapidly. The alternative was to halt language learning opportunities and postpone proficiency examinations. Others that had a distance tool available still noted that participation was not possible for every migrant. Countries could benefit from this experience by identifying areas for improvement so they may be better prepared for similar events in the future.

WHO?

Digital tools for language are already in place in a majority of OECD countries, although the scale and scope differ widely. Language providers or state agencies can build programmes in consultation with experts in the use of ICT in pedagogy. Teachers can integrate these tools into their teaching, reducing preparation time and enabling more efficient use of in-class hours with students. E‑learning tools may be especially useful for migrants with higher education levels and can provide flexibility for active job seekers. Finally, it is essential to factor in the need to build applications that run smoothly and technical support to ensure that devices used in the classroom are operational.

HOW?

In the domain of ICT-based learning, there is no one‑size‑fits-all solution, but there are many combinations and tools from which to choose. While the use of technology and distance learning is relatively new for most countries tackling integration issues (as of 2010, only the Netherlands made systematic use of ICT in its integration exam and offered a standardised study package with ICT components [Kluzer, et al., 2011]), most OECD countries have made steps toward increasing the use of such programmes. ICT-based language provision for adult migrants has tended to grow in a bottom-up fashion, but co‑ordinated government strategies and evaluations should improve consistency in service delivery and tie the tools more effectively to any eventual testing or integration objectives.

A first step is defining the quality criteria and standards that will be used to choose ICT-based learning resources. Understanding of which combination of tools and contexts can lead to the best outcomes is still emerging. The majority of data collected to date on the subject comes in the form of teacher and student questionnaires, and many countries are still experimenting (Box 10.1). Determining which combination of tools best meets the needs of a specific integration programme and under which context requires consideration of the features that can be uniquely afforded by digital learning environments and an examination of the boundary conditions under which instructional techniques are most effective. The socio-pedagogical research base can offer significant lessons – computers have been used for language‑learning to various degrees in various countries since the 1960s – and educators can provide meaningful guidance to government bodies charged with designing or selecting tools. However, the best way to evaluate the pedagogical effectiveness of CALL is still being debated, and authorities must consider the needs of specific populations of migrants. For some, a fully online course may better suit their needs than an in-person course that incorporates ICT materials. Some migrants may be better suited to self-study, while others may benefit more from teacher-led programmes. Generally, OECD countries have approached ICT in three ways:

• Blended learning, in which ICT tools are integrated into the physical classroom

• Digital classrooms, fully online platforms for distance learning

• Digital tools, such as apps and videos, for independent study

Generally, it is recognised that the most successful use of technology in language study has been in partnership with in-person engagement with a teacher. This approach avoids loss of nuance and ensures adequate explanation of errors (Kluzer, et al., 2011).1 Tools developed in Canada, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, and Spain have all prioritised blended learning. In this context, ICT is considered a complement to language tuition, rather than a substitute. It can enable diverse forms of learning (i.e. videos for visual learners or news reports and dialogues for auditory learners), allowing migrants to follow customised learning paths while still permitting group engagement in the classroom. Use of technology in a classroom environment also gives migrants access to richness of material and new techniques without requiring them to invest in their own devices or internet connection.

However, there may be room for ICT to substitute for certain aspects of traditional language education, most notably for the classroom itself. ICT learning provides flexibility, as it may allow migrants to learn at any time or location, including pre‑departure. Australia, Austria, Finland, Israel, and Norway have developed virtual classrooms for distance learning. It is also possible to adapt the blended systems of both Spain and Germany to distance learning. Migrants in Australia have responded positively to the flexibility of the distance AMEP programme, pointing to the advantages of better managing childcare or work obligations. Others have noted the ease of access when living in a remote location. In Finland, distance learning has brought together the small number of migrants throughout the south-western region seeking to integrate in Swedish. Such programmes can also facilitate differentiation, as teachers can engage simultaneously with more than one student across disparate locations via private chat or assign tailored homework without demotivating students who progress at different speeds.

Box 10.1. Countries have made the effort to improve digital offerings

Estonia’s e‑courses (www.keeleklikk.ee) are funded by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Science and the European Social Fund. Courses are designed for both English and Russian speakers and are supported by an Estonian teacher with whom the learners can exchange messages via email. The Austrian ÖIF maintains a language portal, Mein Sprachportal, which provides an overview of different language courses offered. It includes access to a variety of video and audio tools that allow migrants to test their language skills and prepare for tests. Since 2017, The French Ministry of Interior has collected a variety of online tools, including several Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), in response to a call for projects launched by the Directorate of Reception, Support for Foreigners, and Nationality (DAAEN, since an 5 October 2020 reorganisation, now the Directorate of Integration and Access to Nationality (DIAN)).

Germany has developed similar tools, including a learning portal (vhs-Lernportal) that allows students to link with tutors who can view their progress. Different types of exercises are presented through various media: audio, video, pictures, and written text. The portal can be used for homework outside of in-person classes, as teachers can use color-coded markers to electronically correct student mistakes and track areas for further learning. It is also available for free self-study if learners so choose. The portal is both desktop and smartphone compatible.

Since 2010, Canada’s LearnIT2teach project has supported blended learning through hosting of courseware and training teachers on how to adapt these tools for their learners. In 2020, IRCC launched an enhanced solution for language training providers, Avenue.ca, an internet-based system for the planning, delivery, and management of settlement language training. The website offers a virtual space for teachers to store and share resources, the Avenue Moodle platform, and attendance tracking for teachers to check how much time each learner spends working on their Moodle course.

The Sacramento County Office of Education – a centre of expertise in design and use of instructional technology in adult learning – provides “United States Learns”, funded by the United States and Californian Departments of Education. The programme includes a free website and apps that can be used by ESL teachers or independently. Notable tools include games and the ability to record and playback the user’s voice and compare it to proficient spoken English.

Portugal’s Online Platform for Learning Portuguese, offered by the High Commission for Migration, allows learners to progress through two modules, beginner and independent. The course is designed to build vocabulary learning, listening, reading, and writing skills, as well as expanded grammar knowledge. Users are invited to register and identify a native language, in addition to providing data regarding education level, employment status, and knowledge of other languages. Instructions and materials, such as the online dictionary, are made available in that language. The lessons and the tools needed to complete them are explained through both text and audio. Each module contains progress tests to advance to new levels.

Digital tools for self-learning on computer, tablet, or smartphone have grown rapidly on the market. Many are nominally diversified to cater toward different learner profiles. Particularly for learning at the lowest levels, technologies that do not permit spoken interaction are often considered ineffective in building oral capabilities. However, although results are closely correlated to variation in user motivation, some app-based learning has succeeded in building vocabulary (Loewen et al., 2020). Apps can also be an effective way to provide instant feedback regarding errors. Digital tools can also provide time flexibility for homework assignments. Countries like Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, and local governments in the United Kingdom and the United States have invested in language learning applications. They are typically freely available online and present gamified modules in which learners can watch videos and respond to questions, tracking their progress.2

ICT-based language platforms offer a good solution for advanced or highly specialised courses, where the number of interested learners is often insufficient for classroom-based learning. Such platforms do not need to be fully integrated with a language programme. Highly educated learners can take advantage of self-study options. Stand-alone tools, including the German “Ein Tag in der Pflege” (One Day in the Hospital) app for nurses or New Zealand’s WorkTalk website (see Box 10.2), can address specifically identified areas for improvement in language usage.

Box 10.2. New Zealand Provides Online Tools to Skilled Workers

WorkTalk was developed by Immigration New Zealand in collaboration with the Language in the Workplace Team of the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington. The programme was designed in recognition of the fact that for some workers, particularly those with an already advanced language level, culturally specific language usage can be as important as grammar and vocabulary. In addition to providing practice workplace scenarios for migrants, the website also offers tips and tools for employers, as well as an interactive test through which users can judge their understanding of nuanced phrases and appropriate replies. Importantly, this tool, along with much of the New Zealand Now website, is available to offer advice and lessons to migrants pre‑departure.

In addition to assessing where digital tools are likely to be most effective, governments must also consider financing. The cost to develop tools for CALL is considerable, and the reality is that integrating these tools may not reduce cost of language courses, at least not in the short term. The economics of on-line courses are complex, involving not only the cost of the tools, but also a change in approach to the management of teaching and finances. For instance, where governments develop their own tools, this requires up-front investment, development of business plans, project management, training and technical support to teachers, and a team approach to course development and delivery. Some governments, such as the Netherlands, have chosen instead to approve or license privately developed ICT platforms, which often charge a fee. Every case is different, and countries must develop a model based on their goals and requirements. If the tools can enrich the learning process and improve outcomes, they may offer significant returns vis-à-vis labour market integration.

While ICT is an area of high potential, policy makers must be aware of and actively seek solutions to the most common barriers to integration of CALL:

• Affordability of computer hardware and software and stable Internet connectivity;

• Technical and theoretical knowledge; and

• Acceptance of the technology by both student and teacher.

If CALL is integrated in a classroom setting, hardware must be maintained to avoid technical malfunctions disrupting course hours. Software programmes to be used outside of class should be designed to work easily on hardware that most migrants possess. Low-income families are more likely to have access to a smartphone than a desktop computer with internet access, for example, but they could be guaranteed access to desktops at public libraries or learning centres (Rideout and Katz, 2016).3 It is important that migrants not be penalised for lack of technology by missing out on coursework. To overcome this challenge, some course providers supply migrants with the necessary devices, for example in Israel and Finland.

Box 10.3. Lessons in Distance Learning During Lockdown

To ensure continuity of integration during confinement, France provided 15‑24 hours of distance learning per week to those migrants who had already begun French courses under their integration contract. Because of the need for internet access and basic technological and French literacy, distance training was targeted toward 100‑hour courses (for migrants closest to A1 level during initial placement) with groups of 6‑10 participants, and 200‑hour courses with groups of 3‑5 participants. Out-of-class work took place via app, digital learning wall (a visual classroom display designed to focus learning), and email. Individual support and follow-up on written exercises was provided. The programme was only introduced on a small scale to test the approach. Based on the lessons taken from the experiment, France plans to integrate e‑learning modalities into their general course offerings in the future.

Germany, which had online options in place (see also Box 10.1) through its Volkshochschul-Verband (association of adult education centres), invested EUR 20 million and approved nearly 9 300 online classes to avoid disruption of courses due to suspension of government services during spring 2020 and winter 2020‑21. Approximately 66 000 migrants (plus about 8 600 course repeaters) transitioned to the online classes, which were offered free of charge during this period. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees found that many migrants enjoyed the online offerings during periods of confinement, but decided that because of limitations in enabling personal educational accompaniment and exchange amongst participants, online courses taken during the confinement period would be a “bonus” that would not count against the migrant’s language learning entitlement. At the same time, Germany also increased efforts to support regular courses in their online transition, providing additional funding to education centres that could be spent on devices needed for online teaching.

During lockdown, Austria’s Österreichischer Integrationsfonds provided free online language courses for levels A1‑B1, and 75 000 eligible migrants participated. Approximately 70% of the participants were women. Given the project’s popularity, the ministry is considering maintaining blended and online courses going forward. Additionally, in December 2020 – during the lockdown of the hospitality industry – Austria’s Österreichischer Integrationsfonds, together with the Viennese Economic Chamber, began providing tailored online language courses for employees of the hospitality and catering industry.

A call for projects through Open Door in Sweden also resulted in several innovative solutions to migrant isolation. For example, the non-profit Kompis Sverige (Buddy Sweden) launched “Language Buddy Online,” matching migrants with native Swedish speakers to increase interpersonal connections while advancing language practice. Estonia launched a similar programme, The Volunteer Language Friends project, advertised through social media, which linked volunteer mentors to language learners through e‑channels. Volunteers were offered short trainings by Estonian Language House teachers from the Integration Foundation. In Finland, educational institutions continued to provide distance teaching, taking into account students’ learning abilities and access to technology. An option to return homework assignments by mail was introduced.

The Swiss “COVID‑19 Special Situation Ordinance” prohibited face‑to-face courses beginning 2 November 2020, but an exception was made for courses up to Level A2 for those learners unable to participate in online education due to very low language level or lack of digital literacy or connectivity. Group sizes were limited to 15 people. Additional innovations, such as Cours de français au parc (French language teaching in the park) in Geneva, emerged as ways to maintain social engagement and language training for the vulnerable while adhering to safety protocols. At the same time, financing was adapted to allow cantons to use federal funding to acquire computer equipment that could be lent to learners studying remotely.

Especially if materials are meant to enable independent learning, tools should be kept simple. Instructions should assume low prior technical knowledge, and the interface should avoid unneeded, distracting material (Mayer, 2019). Some migrants will need time to build basic digital skills. Australia provides books and CDs for AMEP distance learners at the beginner level, then encourages a transition to online tools as the students progress (Social Compass, 2019).

Learners with no prior exposure to the host language would benefit from availability of materials in their native language, ideally in both written and oral forms. Several tools developed on the market in the Netherlands are designed to increase user-friendliness for illiterate and very early learners, for whom audio- and video-based resources like podcasts and slow-speed content can help improve listening skills without the barrier of written materials (Kluzer, et al., 2011).4 To date, however, few governments have undertaken to translate materials into a variety of languages. Estonia’s programme is available in Russian and English, and the Slovakia, with European Commission support, provides a free website in 13 languages to learn the Slovak, up to level B2.5

Adult language learners can be hesitant to trust online tools to the same degree as in-person language learning, but this can be overcome by better illustrating the opportunities associated with CALL. When successful tools are developed, they should be promoted, along with explanations of the flexibility and results they provide. Online tools must also be of proven quality. ICT integration is a fast-evolving sector. Because the options for CALL are growing, policy makers need a way to understand and evaluate the quality of the various offerings. For example, there must be a straightforward way to identify whether the information is up to date. Integration agencies should also include a comparison of outcomes using digital versus in-person tools in their impact evaluations (Hartikainen, et al., 2020).

During the COVID‑19 confinement period, it became evident that there is currently little alternative to presence learning for the most vulnerable groups – especially migrants with low literacy skills. It is essential to understand how best to reach those migrants who are likely to encounter difficulties and to tackle those difficulties, because deferring classes altogether, even when examinations are also postponed, likely results in learning losses and potential dropouts. Many countries are still evaluating how to maximise retention rates when transitioning to fully distance learning. Those with longstanding and successful distance programmes, such as Finland, emphasise the desirability of a first in-person meeting to build trust, periodic check-ins, and the teacher’s preparedness to engage the students.6 For newer programmes, the impact of COVID‑19‑related confinements could provide an informative natural experiment. Germany noted that, while many learners responded positively to moving coursework online, some students also dropped from the programme. France reported good success with keeping students engaged, but its online courses were targeted to students who had already reached a certain level. An assessment of Australia’s online courses suggested that the move online worked well for those with caring responsibilities, but not for humanitarian migrants or groups with low literacy. While 80% of all students said they improved their skills during the lockdown period, 70% stated that their skills would have improved more in a classroom setting. Given these lessons (see Box 10.3), an evaluation may be able to differentiate between groups of migrants who are more or less likely to succeed in an online course environment. For countries that have not yet developed a distance programme option, COVID‑19 provides an opportunity to understand the consequences by comparing outcomes to those countries that had such tools in place.

Notes

← 1.  Studies have also pointed to the advantage of collaborative versus individual learning in the context of second-language acquisition (Shadiev, Hwang and Liu, 2018). Mobile tools can provide opportunities for autonomous study, but they will likely be more effective if they also enable information sharing and feedback from fellow learners and/or a teacher. For more, see also Wu, R. (2019). “The Effectiveness of MALT on Vocational College English Teaching,” Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 10(3), 641‑647.

← 2.  For the German example offered on Deutsche Welle, see http://www.dw.com/de/deutsch-lernen/s‑2055.

← 3.  For analysis of policies to support ICT inclusion for disadvantaged groups, see the OECD’s Digital Economy Outlook 2017, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264276284‑en.

← 4.  For examples, see www.taalklas.nl; www.alfabetiseren.nl.

← 5.  For more information, see https://slovake.eu/en.

← 6.  Arffman, a provider of immigrant integration training and specialist in distance learning in Finland, started an online course for residents of Lapland in 2015. The company reported a drop-out rate of only 3% in 2019. Among students that studied a minimum of 200 days, 52% reached the target language level of B1.1 or above (see Hartikainen, et al., 2020).