Abstract
AbstractThis article explores inclusive language as a form of verbal communication in an open online language course for refugees and migrants. Firstly, the existing evidence of the benefits of using inclusive language in education is analyzed. Secondly, the specific need to use this type of language in the context of online courses for displaced people is discussed. Thirdly, a first approximation towards the identification of linguistic resources that may impact both group inclusion and individual discrimination is attempted, based on principles and categories from Appraisal Theory. Fourthly, the presence and effects of these linguistic resources are analyzed in the materials and forums of a highly successful LMOOC of elementary Spanish for refugees and migrants. Fifthly and finally, conclusions are drawn on the convenience of incorporating inclusive language as a design element in LMOOCs for displaced people, enhance its use in forums, and train facilitators accordingly.
Highlights
The appearance of large numbers of refugees heading toward Europe became evident around 2015, when a combination of political, social and natural upheavals caused numbers to rise drastically
In the findings presented by Jhaveri (2018), exposure and positive reinforcement in academic communication, including open online courses, is one of the most effective ways of helping students adopt the use of inclusive language, which arguably propagates and potentiates, in turn, its use in the refugee community
Forum interaction was higher than expected for an A level course, as can be seen by the number of messages in the first Language MOOCs (LMOOCs) in table 3
Summary
The appearance of large numbers of refugees heading toward Europe became evident around 2015, when a combination of political, social and natural upheavals caused numbers to rise drastically. This situation has not greatly improved since and, according to UNHCR data, over 68.5 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide, of which 25.4 million are refugees. Some of these people managed to reach the destination country of their choice, especially before European borders began to close, while others are stuck in holding camps along the way.
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