Lifelong Learning Programme logoWelcome on the SAME website, a project to help educational organizations to support the social
and cultural integration of migrants  → Read more about SAME

SAME is a Grundtvig learning partnership project on the period 2012-2014 co-financed by the European commission under the lifelong learning program.

Motivation of immigrants for training

A survey has been conducted in 2011, in Marseille by the group of actors involved in training French as a foreign language to evaluate the situation of migrants related to the training offer. 

According to this survey, persons wishing to participate to a training or having done so are more numerous. Their motivations to learn French and get in training are:

  • Employability: fluency in French to find a job, to gain social independence, to improve knowledge of administration.
  • Political consciousness: desire to be integrated into society, to participate to "normal life", to be a citizen.
  • Facilitate mobility, movement, freedom of movement within the territory, for example to get the driving license. 
Mostly people who want to do some training are active. Retirees are less present in this category.
Not wishing to be trained doesn't mean that the person doesn't want to be integrated, language factors and some external constraints can be the cause. 
Seniors are often in this category. At least three reasons explain their position: 
  • Ageing. They have their own representation and their relationship to ageing, they consider that they are too old to start a learning path that would require extra effort for lack of basic academic skills. 
  • The roles and projects. Some have restricted their investment on the intimate space (to look after their grandchildren). They have abandoned the long-term projects that would create changes in the organization of life: it is "too late." 
  • The social place. They think they are not concerned by training and training organizations (that they do not know).
Among active people, there are two categories of people not participating to training courses: the "resourceful" and the people who cannnot. 
Often, the first category consider their level of French is sufficient for their daily lives and they compensate their difficulties with written language by some adaptations: they use public writer services, they delegate writing work to family members of friends, or they use professional colleagues or relatives often in collective housing centers to learn French on the job. 
Other people are forced to postpone their training project due to family obligations (child at school). They can still use the same external resources when needed in their everyday life.

To read the full report: online or for dowloading (in French).

Meeting in Bern (CH)

SAME partners have been welcome in Biel and Bern from 4 to 6th of June 2014 by Verband der Schweizerrischen Volkshochschulen. Three learners from le Puy have participated.

Among interesting experiences met or heard about:

  • using the open air markets for informing migrants about the possibilities of training, this information being done by other migrants;
  • coffee for parents: by discussing with other parents, language is used, exchanges are done around children, health, food, information is obtained on activities, languages, budgeting...  (A initiative from VHS)
  • information for fathers so that they are able to deal better with their teenage chidren;
  • "From mother to mother": short courses to discuss questions like "How is the school system structures?", "How can I support my child in school questions/problems?", "How can I speak to the teacher?", "What does the teacher expect from me?". These courses are organised by Famira on six mornings (3 hours each).
  • "Mothers meeting mothers", German courses around family matters organised by Famira during four 3 hour mornings. Content is around "How and when should I say no to my chil?", "When shoulf my child go to bed?", "Which food is good for my child?", "Who will help me when I have problems with my children?".
  • Possibility to use child care services while taking courses (it is included in the price of the courses of Multimondo).
  • Instead of naming a course "Writing for foreigners" or something similar, calling it "Plaisir d'écrire" or "Enjoy writing". It is more attractive and probably more valorising for the participants. (Multimondo)
  • Provision of individual coaching workshops for employment.

 

Meeting with the Director of the VHS Biel

Presentation of the Multimondo program of courses

Multimondo whiteboard with training and consulting offers

In particular we can see a course based on art activities for migrants who have suffered from trauma.

Our house in Switzerland described by a migrant in a French language course

The full report is available for downloading.

Meeting in Austria

The fifth transnational meeting (24.02.2014-26.02.2014) was organised by Die Kärntner Volkshochschulen in Klagenfurt and Villach (Austria) and focused on actions of integration in rural and urban areas. Participants also had the possibility to talk to migrants, trainers and social pedagogues in different basic education courses. Furthermore they were shown how to produce their own digital story.

Presentations of partners for the workshop "Integration of migrants in rural areas and in urban areas":

Exchange with migrants in a language course:

 

Visual representations of the countries of origin of immigrants:

Gerda Sandriesser, member of Villach city council, presents the developing process of a vision regarding migration and integration:

Marika gruber presents the Handbook "Actions of integration in rural areas":

She has also published "Integration im ländlichen Raum".

SAME partners in Die Kärntner Volkshochschulen:

You can also download the:

  • Agenda of the Austrian meeting.
  • Report of the Austrian meeting.

 

Meeting in Düzce (Turkey)

Here are some documents about the Düzce meeting:

Turkish language practice (Dr. Aslıhan Kuyumcu Vardar)

Visit to Governor of Düzce

Discussion with Kaynaşlı mayor

Experiencing some traditional art in Kaynaşlı Vocational School of University

Visit to one of the local - ethnic cultural organitions

 

Available for downloading:

Coming soon: Meeting in Düzce

The fourth transnational meeting took place in Düzce (Turkey), on September 30-October 2 2013. We will publish a meeting report soon, photos, videos...

Presentations from the meeting in France are available

Meeting in Le Puy-en-Velay (France)

The third transnational meeting took place in Le Puy-en-Velay (France), on June 3-4 2013. The most interesting points for the partnership were:

  • the possiblity for newcomers to benefit from free competence assessments
  • the obligation for migrants who do not master the French language to take courses up to 300-400 hours (but the level targeted seems to low)
  • the tools used by the trainer to manage a diversity of levels (educational level and level in French)
  • The digital storytelling method developed by the Austrian partner

 

Austrian presentation of Digital Storytelling

A French course for immigrants

Presentation of migration context by the deputy manager of the OFII (French Immigration and Integration Office)

 

Available for downloading:

Meeting in Tyresö (Sweden)

The second transnational meeting took place in Tyresö (Sweden), February 27 to March 1st 2013.

Presentation of Swedish for professionals at the Stockholm county:

Exchange with a group of migrant learners in the CFL premises:

Exchange with migrant learners who have benefited from the Swedish courses (SFX) in the SFI Center

Meeting in Potsdam (Germany)

The first transnational meeting took place in Potsdam (Germany), on November 7-9 2012.

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