Salvo, T;
Williams, ACDC;
(2017)
"If I speak English, what am I? I am full man, me": Emotional impact and barriers for refugees and asylum seekers learning English.
TRANSCULTURAL PSYCHIATRY
, 54
(5-6)
pp. 733-755.
10.1177/1363461517746315.
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Abstract
Lack of proficiency in the language of the host country predicts distress among refugees, but many refugees and asylum seekers in the United Kingdom have less than functional English. This study examined how learning English affected refugees’ and asylum seekers’ lives, particularly their emotional wellbeing, to explore what factors, particularly psychological ones, facilitated or impeded their learning English. We recruited 16 refugees and asylum seekers from an inner-city National Health Service trauma service and from a charity providing one-to-one English classes. All participants were interviewed in English. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis from a critical realist perspective. Interviewees provided consistent accounts of their efforts to learn English, integrated into often unsettled and difficult lives. The analysis generated six themes in two domains. The impact of learning English was mainly positive, associated with autonomy, sense of achievement, and aspirations. Barriers to learning English consisted of other problems affecting refugees’ capacity to learn, limited opportunities to speak English, and a sense of shame associated with perceived lack of English language competence. Findings highlight the need to provide adequate psychological support for refugees and asylum seekers learning English, recognising its importance in promoting both their integration in the UK and their individual psychological well-being.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | "If I speak English, what am I? I am full man, me": Emotional impact and barriers for refugees and asylum seekers learning English |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1177/1363461517746315 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1177/1363461517746315 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Anthropology, Psychiatry, acculturation, communication, distress, migration, Posttraumatic-Stress-Disorder, Southeast-Asian Refugees, Mental-Health-Care, Qualitative Research, Psychological Distress, Language-Acquisition, Integration, Britain, Proficiency, Trauma |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences > Clinical, Edu and Hlth Psychology |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10046799 |
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