Social Inclusion of Youth with Migrant Background

Please find here some inspiration for working with youngsters with migrant background.

Acculturation Model

In second-language acquisition (basically learning a second language to your native one, or trying to find a common language to speak and communicate on with a stranger), the Acculturation Model is a theory proposed by John Schumann to describe the acquisition process of a second language by members of ethnic minorities that typically include immigrants, migrant workers, or the children of such groups. This acquisition process takes place in natural contexts of majority language setting. The main suggestion of the theory is that the acquisition of a second language is directly linked to the acculturation process, and learners’ success is determined by the extent to which they can orient themselves to the target language culture.

The Human Library

The Human Library is an international organisation and movement that first started in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2000. It aims to address people’s prejudices by helping them to talk to those they would not normally meet. The organisation uses a library analogy of lending people rather than books. These people have “experienced prejudice, social exclusion or stigma,” and participants can ask them questions so as to “learn about the other person and also challenge their own prejudices”. A variety of topics is covered by the organisation, that exceeds the theme of migration. The Human Library Organisation is active in over 80 countries, in which there are a few permanent Human Libraries but most happen as events. … read further

The “Sing Me In” project aims at providing children and youth choir conductors and music teachers with pedagogical approaches and tools that allow collective singing activities to play a positive role in the integration process of young people.The main outputs of the project will thus be three practical handbooks targeting children and youth choir conductors and music teachers:

  • Singing with groups of young refugees
  • Including young people with migrant background in existing choirs
  • Working in a school environment

They’ll be available in 11 languages, and freely downloadable.