From Camps to Campus: English Literacy Development Programs for Refugee Students with Emerging Literacy

The majority of refugee children have limited opportunities to develop first language (L1) literacy skills due to interrupted formal education. Upon resettlement to a country with a different language, refugee children must learn the language of instruction (L2) and develop L2 literacy to fill academic knowledge gaps. With limited L1 literacy and L2 oral competence upon which to build L2 literacy, and limited time to bridge linguistic and content gaps, students of refugee backgrounds with emerging literacy (REL students) require literacy support.
Currently, the majority of references cited in major policy resources relating to refugee education in Canada come from Australian research. This project will deepen understanding of secondary-aged REL students’ literacy development by addressing the questions: 1) What is the current status of research on the literacy learning and education of REL students? 2) What are the current policies, practices, and resources used in literacy programs for REL students in Australia? 3) How do these policies, practices, and resources align with those in Canada?
The project will comprise two phases: first, a scoping review of empirical and gray literature; second, a case study of a literacy program in Melbourne, Australia […]

Faculty Supervisor:

Ruth Kane

Student:

Partner:

Monash University (Clayton, Australia)

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Ottawa

Program: