An Attempt to Track English Functionality in the Use of English by Youth Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: How often do they use the English Language and for what Purposes? A Qualitative-Descriptive Case Study

Abstract

UNESCO (2020) identifies functionally literate person as a person who can engage in all those activities in which literacy is required for effective function of his or her group and community and also for enabling him or her to continue to use reading, writing, and calculation for his or her own and the community’s development. This case study aims at exploring the frequency of usage of English language literacy skills (comprehension and text processing) in activities related to protection, career development, education, immigration, socialization and globalization. This qualitative- descriptive study is conducted on displaced Syrian students who are above eighteen and have achieved APTIS A1 level of English in Lebanon in summer 2019. Participants who are convenient samples of their population are given reliable and valid survey questionnaires. The questionnaire is divided into 2 sections. The first section includes demographic information about the participants and the second section includes five activities. Each activity includes 4 statements which the participants have to mark the convenient frequency of using English literacy skills per each of them. The data are presented in statistical tables/ graphs. Results are drawn to rate the usage of English literacy skills per each statement and per each activity as a whole using the scientific program for statistical studies(SPSS). Conclusion and recommendations help linguists and researches to seek ways to develop literacy curriculums/programs which enable this population and other ones in the MENA region who have similar context (over 18, study English as a foreign language, displaced or refugees….) to study and use English functionally for their own and their communities’ development.