Belonging: A Study of the Relationship Between Migrant Women’s Social Interactions and Their Perception of Their Own Integration (original) (raw)

Language Learning of Adult Migrants in Europe Theoretical, Empirical, and Pedagogical Issues, 2022

Abstract

In this chapter, I explore the experiences of language learning and integration of six newly arrived migrant women who attended community ESOL classes (English for Speakers of Other Languages) in East London. I draw on qualitative data gathered over eighteen months using narrative interviews and oral diaries to focus on the women’s social interactions in English, the places in which those social interactions took place, and the women’s sense of belonging, defined as feeling at ease with oneself and one’s surroundings (May, 2011). The women’s social interactions took place in four main spheres: local community; public services; work; and home. Their social interactions in English affected their feelings of belonging in four aspects: material; relational; cultural; and temporal. I show how the migrant women’s social interactions with others, including acquaintances and strangers, affected the development of trust in other people and their surroundings in their new community in London. I also suggest that social interactions supported the women in acquiring cultural knowledge, practices, and behaviours that were not formally taught in their ESOL sessions. I conclude by emphasising the importance of teachers, and others involved in designing community ESOL programmes, recognising the contribution that social interactions can make to migrants’ language development and social integration.

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