Abstract Book of the 9th International Conference on Research in Education
Year: 2025
DOI:
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Transcending Linguistic Borders: Refugee Women’s Language and Literacy Practices
Leila Kajee
ABSTRACT:
Language serves as a vessel for connecting distant shores, preserving oral traditions, and facilitating cross-cultural exchange. Investigating communication and human interactions in bridging communities are just some of the ways we honor the power of words and their ability to transcend borders and unite minds. The refugee crisis has placed many countries worldwide under pressure to accommodate and integrate large numbers of refugees. This is a contemporary reality, and South Africa is no exception. Refugees are a particularly vulnerable group because of forced displacement, emotional stress, inadequate social support, and trauma. Refugee women are particularly challenged, and the language barrier is a key challenge given there are several aspects influencing lack of language and communication skills. The purpose of this study is to investigate, through narratives and interviews, how 30 refugee women encounter their social spaces and experience language and literacy in their communities. How do refugee women perceive their language and literacy practices? What are their language and literacy practices? To what factors do they attribute their successes and/or struggles?
keywords: crisis, language, literacy, refugee, women