scholarly journals Language, education, and power in refugee camps: A comparison of Kakuma Refugee Camp (Kenya) and Thai-Myanmar refugee camps

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hang M. Le
Keyword(s):  
Language Education ◽  
Refugee Camp ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Refugee Camps ◽  
Language Policies ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Language Of Instruction ◽  
Linguistic Rights ◽  
Political Choices ◽  
International Humanitarianism

While there is growing attention to language as a central issue in education for refugees, this policy area still appears to be dominated by an apolitical, technical, and instrumentalist perspective. Through a comparison of language-in-education policies in two refugee camp contexts, Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya and the refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border, this paper demonstrates how language policies are always deeply political in nature. In refugee contexts in particular, language policies in education reflect and reproduce existing power dynamics that can exclude refugees from decisionmaking processes about their own future. In Kakuma, language issues in education are decided by the international humanitarianism regime based on efficiency and costeffectiveness over the linguistic rights of the refugee community. Even when refugees are in control in the Thai-Myanmar refugee camps, decisions over the language of instruction are still political choices that serve to exclude many people.

scholarly journals ‘Teacher! Teacher! I want “A”, teacher!’

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Cass
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Media Education ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
English Language Education ◽  
Language Of Instruction ◽  
Current Form ◽  
Higher Education Policies

This article broadly examines the teaching of journalism and media studies in the countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council and focuses specifically on the authors’ experiences of teaching these subject areas in the Colleges of Applied Science in Oman. Written partly in response to O’Rourke and Belushi (2010) and drawing on earlier work by Quinn (2001) and Al Hasani (2006), the paper addresses a number of broader questions about journalism and media education in the GCC countries. It asks whether the use of English as a language of instruction is sustainable in countries like Oman and whether its use is based on considerations of practicality or because of its perceived prestige. The article draws on debates about higher education language policy and questions about the viability of teaching ‘Western-style’ journalism in non-democratic societies raised by Josephi (2010) and others. The article argues that higher education policies which affect journalism and media education too often appear to be based on ideas about what will make the country look good or ‘modern’ while ignoring what might be its actual needs. The article argues that in some cases English language education in these subjects is not viable in its current form and that students themselves see the role of journalism in an utterly different light to that of their ‘Western’ or ‘Western’-educated instructors.

scholarly journals ‘We don’t talk Gypsy here’: Minority language policies in Europe

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
William S. New ◽  
Hristo Kyuchukov ◽  
Jill de Villiers
Keyword(s):  
Education Reform ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Minority Language ◽  
Capabilities Approach ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Language Policies ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Ideal Case ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Similarities And Differences

AbstractThe Roma constitute an ideal case of educational injustice meeting linguistic difference, racism, social marginalization, and poverty. This paper asks whether human-rights or capabilities approaches are best suited to address issues related to the language education of Roma students in Europe. These children are disadvantaged by not growing up with the standard dialect of whatever language is preferred by the mainstream population, and by the low status of the Romani language, and non-standard dialect of the standard language they usually speak. We examine language education for Roma students in Croatia, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria, describing similarities and differences across contexts. We explain weak and strong version of language rights arguments, and the ways these principles are expressed, and not expressed in education policies. Sen’s capabilities approach can be employed to generate contextualized visions of education reform that speak directly to disadvantages suffered by Roma children.

Implications of Australia’s Bilingual Education of Aboriginal People

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 1460
Author(s):  
Jie Li
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Bilingual Education ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Language Planning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Language Policies ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
The Past ◽  
Language Problems

Australia, as a multicultural and multilingual country, has been highly appraised by international linguists and statesmen for its formulation and implementation of language policies. Over the past years, linguists, statesmen, educators and residents have been devoting themselves to the further improvement of language education policies and laws, and the implementation of bilingual education for Aboriginal people. They have gradually resolved language problems, and most importantly, preserved linguistic and cultural diversity. This has set a successful example for China to follow. Under such circumstance, the proposed research, based on sociolinguistic theories concerning language policy and language planning, makes implications, suggesting how our country should proceed from the actual situations to take more practical measures and formulate better policies.

scholarly journals Simulating language knowledge across the EU: language regimes, language learning and consequences for linguistic disenfranchisement

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Civico
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Skills Acquisition ◽  
Linguistic Distance ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

AbstractThe objective of this paper is to develop an simulation model able to test different language education orientations and their consequences for the EU population in terms of linguistic disenfranchisement, that is, the inability of citizens to understand EU documents and parliamentary discussions should their native language(s) no longer be official. I will focus on the impact of linguistic distance and language learning. Ideally, this model would be a tool to help EU policy makers make informed decisions about language practices and education policies, taking into account their consequences in terms of diversity and linguistic disenfranchisement. The model can be used to force agents to make certain choices in terms of language skills acquisition. The user can then go on to compare different scenarios in which language skills are acquired according to different rationales. The idea is that, by forcing agents to adopt certain language learning strategies, the model user can simulate policies promoting the acquisition of language skills and get an idea of their impact. In this way, the model allows not only to sketch various scenarios of the evolution of language skills among EU citizens, but also to estimate the level of disenfranchisement in each of these scenarios.

The Refugee Camp as Site of Multiple Encounters and Realizations

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-233
Author(s):  
Ayham Dalal
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Refugee Camp ◽  
Human Geography ◽  
Entry Point ◽  
Material Composition ◽  
Refugee Camps

AbstractLiterature in Human Geography has given much attention to “encounters” and their impact on negotiating difference in everyday life. These studies, however, have focused solely on cities, while “other” spaces like refugee camps have received little attention to date. In this paper, I highlight the significance of “encounters” in camps by exposing three main types: the “refugee-refugee,” the “refugee-humanitarian,” and the “refugee-more-than-human” encounters. Using empirical examples from Zaatari camp in Jordan, I show that the “refugee-refugee” encounters cannot be fully understood without taking refugees’ culture, background, and urban identities into consideration. I also explain how the “refugee-humanitarian” encounters result in new types of behaviors and might harden the boundaries between both groups. And lastly, I demonstrate how the “refugee-more-than-human” encounters can inform us about refugees’ unique experiences with shelters, space, and materiality. Building on the examples given for each type, this article suggests that “encounters” have the ability to generate knowledge and learnings, which contributes to shaping the space of the camp by either enforcing boundaries between different groups and/or by allowing new and hybrid spatialities to emerge. This not only confirms that “encounters” are an important entry point in understanding the socio-spatial and material composition of refugee camps, but also that further studies in this regard are direly needed. It also suggests that architects and planners need to allow for the “new” to emerge as a result of these encounters and, therefore, to enable flexibility and adaptability within camps’ design and planning.

The Pedagogy of English Language Teaching using CBSE Methodologies for schools.

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 188-193
Author(s):  
Huma Hyder
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
National Development ◽  
Language Education ◽  
International Perspective ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
School Level ◽  
Education Policies

Progressive Globalization established the necessity of workforce to possess excellent communication skills in multiple languages. Areas such as tourism, trade, media, technology, science, and others use common languages. However, countries like China, South Korea, and so forth discussed the need to teach one foreign language at primary as well as secondary school level and hence developed education policies that focused on teaching English as a foreign language or second language. Some countries like Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and India already have English language as a second official language. Hence, English Language Education was considered as second foreign language which was accepted and now it is considered as a symbol of aspiring quality education in a national as well as international perspective. In 21st century, English is considered as an international link language which is been widely accepted by people across the world. Although, English language has a historical heritage of British Empire, it is best used to develop an individual’s cultural, technological, scientific and material needs that competes with the society. It is believed that language learning is not just acquiring the skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Language learning is also about the language competence and the ways communicative competence has been applied in an integrated manner. English language learning is not just an educational issue, it also addresses the issues of the society, national development, and personal advancement. In the present scenario, English Language acquired an inclusive place in most of the societies, especially in India. As a result, English Medium Schools have gained immense popularity which responds to aspiration of the people. This paper tries to present the significance of English as a Second language. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the significant pedagogies or methodologies used in schools to teach English as English language plays a crucial role in the education sector.

English Education Reform in Asian Countries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenyang Sun ◽  
Xue Lan Rong
Keyword(s):  
Education Reform ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Education ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
English Language Education ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
The Status ◽  
Globalized World

Language education is becoming an increasingly important topic in education in Asian countries, especially as schools in Asian countries have become more multilingual and multicultural as a result of rapid urbanization and globalization. A comparative analysis of the issues in language education reform in Asian countries—using China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore as examples—shows that, historically and currently, English language education policies are shaped by various underpinning ideologies such as linguicism, nationalism, and neoliberalism. English can serve as a vehicle for upward socioeconomic mobility, or an instrument of linguistic imperialism, or both, in Asia contexts. These ideologies, through language education policies and reforms, impact the status as well as the pedagogy and promotion of the English language. There is a trend and a need with regard to addressing critical consciousness in English education in order to counter the forces of linguicism and neoliberalism in an increasingly multilingual, multicultural, and globalized world.

Sensory Perceptual Experience in Balata Refugee Camp

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 36-44
Author(s):  
Shahd Adnan M. Qzeih ◽  
Rafooneh Mokhtarshahi Sani
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
West Bank ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Mental Image ◽  
Refugee Camp ◽  
Refugee Camps ◽  
The West ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Palestinian Territories ◽  
The World

Wars and conflicts have caused millions of people to seek asylum outside their homelands and the issue of refugee camps has become a pressing subject in international policy discussions. Conflicts continue to escalate in different parts of the world, especially in Middle Eastern countries. In 1948, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict forced displacement of many Palestinian people. The resulting camps have developed into cluster camp shelters of three to four stories in the West Bank, Gaza, and other regions around historical Palestine; some are perceived to be like gated communities. Being self-sufficient environments, refugee camps have rarely been approached from the perspective of urban psychology. This research deals with sensory perceptual analysis of Balata, the largest refugee camp in the West Bank of Palestinian Territories. Balata is situated in Nablus and has raised four generations of refugees since its establishment. In order to explore the spatial characteristics of such specific environmental experiences, the research adopted a mixed-method approach – systematically evaluating the related literature on sensory perceptual spaces and applying content analysis methods. The study modified the sensory slider tool of Malnar and Vodvarka according to the framework matrix based on the content analysis. Moreover, the case study analysis consisted of observation of the chosen area and 30 in-depth interviews with refugees who were forced out of their homes and settled in the camp as well as some who were born in the camp. The research results show that investigating what camp residents perceive of the five senses can capture meaningful sensory perceptual experiences and can generate a holistic mental image of the refugee camp. Particularly, perceptions of the built environment reflect the difficulty of life experiences. The study concludes that the characteristics of camps in this seventy-year-old conflict environment may not be found in other parts of the world.

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