Principles Guiding the Safe Haven Language Program Curriculum
As noted earlier, in order to understand the lived experience of the refugee claimant, the Safe Haven Curriculum Project conducted preliminary research that included interviews with refugee claimants themselves, as well as those who support their English language instruction in both LINC and Safe Haven programs, settlement workers, employment counsellors, and subject matter experts. An environmental scan of already existing English lessons for refugee claimants was also conducted.
The results of this research revealed the absence of resources that address the unique challenges of refugee claimants and the lack of a tailored English language curriculum that can support their success as they navigate the refugee protection process in Canada. The challenges found to be inherent to the refugee claimants’ journeys highlight six key areas of need:
- Refugee claimants are a diverse and non-homogeneous group, requiring a variety of engagement methods for effective language learning.
- Seeking refugee protection suggests that the claimants have likely faced challenges in their places of origin, during their journey to seek asylum, and while adapting to life in Canada. Feelings of trauma and loss, anxiety, and culture shock can have a significant impact.
- Immediate and critical need for support with settlement, employment and the navigation of the refugee claim process underscores the necessity for accelerated education that focuses on relevant content.
- Community support and resources are essential for accessing basic life necessities and successfully navigating the refugee claim process.
- The varied educational backgrounds of refugee claimants require an individualized approach to literacy and learning needs.
- Embracing Canadian cultural values that strengthen independence, enhance confidence in diversity, and help navigate essential services — especially for marginalized communities — will support a successful transition to life in Canada.
Language services can play a key role in supporting refugee claimants. Six key principles were identified to address each of these needs when creating a curriculum for refugee claimants.
- Universal Design for Learning: Implement theUniversal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to ensure Safe Haven lessons are accessible to, and engaging for, as many refugee claimant clients as possible.
- Trauma Informed Practice: Encourage mental wellness and apply trauma informed practices.
- Relevant Content: Providerelevant content that focuses on employment, the immediate needs of settlement and survival, and Canadian culture.
- Community Engagement: Promote community engagement through partnerships and classroom connections.
- Accessibility: Ensure accessibility for learners with learning differences and literacy needs.
- Inclusivity, Diversity, and Unity: Foster inclusivity, diversity, and unity through culturally responsive and equitable teaching practices that create a welcoming environment for marginalized communities, including BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ learners.
The Guiding Principles
The following explains the guiding principles of the curriculum and provides recommended strategies for practicing them.
1. Implement the Universal Design for Learning framework.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) offers a framework to create a flexible, adaptable and accessible learning environment that responds to the diverse needs of refugee claimants. It emphasizes planning engaging content that is supported by a variety of teaching methods and class resources to achieve the best learning outcomes for the greatest number of students.
The three principles of UDL are:
- Multiple Means of Engagement
- Multiple Means of Representation
- Multiple Means of Action and Expression
Multiple Means of Engagement
Objective: To use effective teaching methods that inspire refugee claimants to become excited about learning and interested in the material being presented, increasing focus and engagement in the learning process.
Strategies to achieve this include:
• Offering opportunities for refugee claimants to take charge of their learning; providing choices and consulting on preferred learning topics and approaches.
• Keeping them active and motivated by diversifying the class activities and materials; putting more emphasis on group interactions and teamwork.
• Selecting topics and activities relevant to day-to-day needs and using real-life tasks that reflect what is important to and helpful for the refugee claimant.
• Practicing flexibility and adaptability when teaching refugee claimants, alongside providing choices and relevant content; adjusting lessons and pivoting focus to address unforeseen changes in circumstances.
Multiple Means of Representation
Objective: To provide refugee claimants with a variety of paths to access and understand the learning materials that consider diverse learning styles, individual needs and skill levels.
Strategies to achieve this include:
• Using various methods to present materials to refugee claimants; allowing them to select what works best for them; providing alternative approaches to address any learning gaps.
• Understanding their individual learning pace, providing sufficient time for learners to process and produce language, and planning lesson timing according to their needs.
• Ensuring clear understanding of instructions by using language suited to the learner’s level and incorporating a variety of teaching aids.
• Providing additional resources and tools to support learning and guarantee accessibility.
• Using tailored techniques to tackle learning difficulties and literacy issues.
Multiple Means of Action and Expression
Objective: To design lessons that allow refugee claimants to use and demonstrate what they have learned. Employing a variety of tools and options enables learners to develop their skills, preferences, and strengths in real-world interactions.
Strategies to achieve this include:
• Offering several options for refugee claimants to participate in lessons, using their preferred methods to demonstrate their skills and share their learning.
• Teaching refugee claimants how to take control of their learning while providing necessary support.
• Fostering an environment in which refugee claimants feel comfortable giving and receiving feedback from peers and teachers.
2. Encourage mental wellness and apply Trauma-Informed Practices.
Trauma-informed practices recognize the impact of trauma on refugee claimants’ physical and mental health and aim to create a learning environment that supports the healing and recovery process.
Strategies to achieve this include:
Understanding Trauma: Participating in training sessions on recognizing trauma signs; developing classroom strategies to support students dealing with trauma (e.g., breaks, quiet areas); nurturing a culture of empowerment by encouraging students to set their own goals and take control of their learning.
Safe Environment: Creating a classroom experience that feels welcoming and secure, establishing predictable classroom routines and expectations, and checking in with students regularly.
Trusting Relationships: Using active listening techniques to build trust; employing peer support to promote interactions and prevent feelings of social isolation; offering refugee claimants the time and space to express themselves at their own pace; showing understanding and empathy during difficult situations.
Providing Resources: Compiling support tools and making them readily accessible; sharing a list of mental health and other resources available in the community; arranging for guest speakers from mental health professions.
3. Provide relevant content that focuses on employment, immediate settlement needs, and Canadian culture.
Aligning language lessons and activities with refugee claimants’ immediate real-world needs and goals connects in-class lessons to their daily life experiences. Learning relevant content can increase learners’ motivation as they feel that they are one step closer to achieving their goals. Integrating specific topics that are vital to their adaptation and settlement, such as employment, survival life skills, and Canadian culture, creates a supportive learning environment.
Strategies to achieve this include:
Prioritizing: Building learning materials that respond to the immediate needs of securing a job and understanding how to interact professionally in Canada will support settlement, encourage motivation, and provide a sense of accomplishment.
Identifying Needs: Investigating the needs of refugee claimants through various methods — including formal and informal interviews, discussion groups, and needs assessments — offers valuable insights into how well class content aligns with learners’ needs. It is important to maintain flexibility and adapt to any changes in learners’ needs.
Establishing Connections: Linking real world tasks with teaching materials makes the lesson relevant to the needs of refugee claimants and boosts their confidence when engaging in these tasks.
4. Promote community engagement and classroom connections.
Establishing connections with the community is critical to the resettlement process for refugee claimants in Canada. These connections provide services and resources, as well as a sense of well-being by nurturing a sense of belonging. Further, many of the immediate needs of RCs are outside of the scope of the training and experience of Safe Haven teachers; therefore, a collaborative approach to client support is crucial to setting RCs up for success.
Strategies to achieve this include:
Partnerships: Identifying essential services and collaborating with local organizations; referring refugee claimants to relevant community programs as a means of connecting classroom learning with real-world experience; using guest speakers to discuss community services.
Active participation: Involving refugee claimants in community events and engaging them in social, recreational, and sport activities; inviting families to cultural events; and inspiring them to participate in community services to build connections.
Volunteering: Presenting refugee claimants with information related to local volunteer opportunities and highlighting the benefits of participating in them.
5. Ensure accessibility for learners with learning differences and literacy needs.
All refugee claimants, regardless of their educational background, skill level, literacy issues, or learning difficulties, should have access to appropriate language learning materials and activities. This includes providing individuals with special needs the accommodations needed to engage in the learning process and facilitate integration into their new communities.
Strategies to achieve this include:
Resources: Providing a list of available resources that offer support to refugee claimants in their learning journey and empower them to take control of their education.
Varied Learning Options: Offering flexible learning formats to accommodate the time constraints that refugee claimants experience while trying to settle and adapt to their new life in Canada; varying the formats of in-person, asynchronous, synchronous, and blended learning to cater to the needs of individual learners.
Accessible Language: Using simple, clear language that matches the learners’ skills and language or learning levels; articulating words clearly; maintaining a suitable pace to allow time for processing information.
Learning Materials: Presenting refugee claimants with activities that consider different learning styles and levels; focusing on engaging activities that ensure learners’ involvement and participation; creating adaptable learning materials that can be tailored for learners with special needs.
Learners’ Feedback: Creating opportunities for refugee claimants to reflect on their learning by voicing their thoughts about their learning experiences and sharing their concerns and challenges.
6. Foster Inclusivity, Diversity, and Unity.
Fostering a learning environment that makes refugee claimants feel welcomed, valued, and respected regardless of their gender, sexuality, ethnicity, beliefs, or other identities encourages mental wellness for all, especially marginalized groups. Language curriculum that effectively communicates a respect for diversity and multiculturalism supports RCs’ settlement and integration into their communities.
Strategies to achieve this include:
Unity: Finding common objectives to bring people together regardless of their differences; addressing conflicts and utilizing shared interests and goals to resolve them based on respect and empathy; emphasizing collaboration to create successful integration and meaningful connections.
Inclusivity: Ensuring that all minority groups and cultures are represented; designing teaching materials that empower underrepresented groups and give them a voice; removing barriers to mutual understanding and tackling stereotypes and biases.
Diversity: Recognizing differences while highlighting similarities; celebrating all cultures, genders, and sexual orientations; involving everyone in making informed decisions; introducing concepts such as 2SLGBTQIA+ gender identities and multiculturalism in Canadian society.