The objective of the Art-Based Research workshops was to evaluate the adaptability of art-based language learning exercises in different contexts and with diverse target groups. The workshops highlighted: a) the communication skills and the capacities to learn a new language that can be developed through these exercises, and b) the challenges, risks, and special circumstances that facilitators and learners might encounter when using them.
Table of Contents:
Skills Developed Through Art-Based Methods
As a general observation, based on the overall experience of the Art-Based Research workshops, we can conclude that their most evident outcome has been the development of vocabulary at all levels: beginners, intermediate, and proficient users, through writing, reading, speaking, drawing, interacting with locals, and more.
Other basic skills, such as writing, spelling, and pronunciation, could also be enhanced through art-based techniques.
Based on the partners’ reports, the following competences were almost entirely covered by all the workshops, at least through one of the activities implemented:
- Reading
- Comprehension
- Spelling
- Written expression
- Oral expression
- Pronunciation
- Listening and comprehension
- Vocabulary development
- Syntax – Sentence construction
A wide range of extralinguistic skills were also improved during the workshops:
- Creativity
- Artistic and manual skills
- Organisational skills
- Orientation
- Non-verbal self-expression
- Cultural and intercultural skills
- Analytical skills
- Empathy
- Digital skills
- Scientific knowledge
- Self-confidence and self-awareness
Context and Specificity of the Workshops
To draw proper conclusions, we must consider the specific context of the Art-Based Research workshops, which, in the majority of cases, consisted of one or more independent sessions. As a result, most of them were not proper language courses in the sense that they were not built into a continuous curriculum. Instead, they were creative workshops that aimed at improving language skills and other related competences.
This might represent major differences in how and to what extent a language teacher would use the tested practices. This aspect needs to be considered when recommending these methods to teaching professionals.
Another specificity of the at based workshops was the short-lived relationship between facilitators and learners. Time has not always been sufficient to properly evaluate learners’ skills or to build the depth of trust that could be established through several subsequent learning sessions.
The limited time frame and learning capacities on the other hand correspond to the real world’s situation, linked to the experiences of people in transit—common in countries like Italy and Greece.
Refugees and asylum seekers waiting for authorities’ decisions before moving to another country do not necessarily have the no intention to deepen their knowledge of the local langage and culture to the level of proficiency. Still, receptions centers often need to offer capacity building trainings and workshops fostering their inclusion in the local society.
Art and creativity-based workshops, designed as independent, one-session activities, can be an ideal solution for these people in transit who may not wish to commit to long-term language training.
Independent workshops also address the needs of learners who are not available on a regular basis only when their daily tasks permit. This configuration of non-fixed learning groups is very common in the case of learners with refugee background and asylum seekers having regular fixed appointments with authorities where their presence is mandatory.
The lack of fixed groups and ever-changing participants makes linear learning curricula impractical in the non-formal learning situations like those experienced during the Art-Based Research workshops. However, a series of creative workshops, composed of individually planned sessions, can effectively complement more formalized learning processes.
Emotional Impact
Despite the short-lived contact between RELICA’s facilitators and the learner groups, participants reported positive experiences, with the majority of their feedback being favorable. Learners frequently described feelings of joy, freedom, and improved self-confidence, which are closely related to the nature of the exercises. Through art-based exercises, learners are encouraged to express themselves, while the facilitator assumes the role of an attentive listener or spectator. This dynamic boosts self-confidence simply by showing learners that their experiences and opinions are valued.
On the other hand, when encouraging people to express themselves related to their own, personal experiences, without having built a relationship of trust, certain exercices might be fruitless or even harming. Showing a personal photo, evoking a personal memory, or referencing a specific cultural element, can be challenging, especially at the beginning. The phenomena of temporary blackout when asking them opened questions about the participants’ culture of origine or to share cultural references was observed in Germany, France, and Greece. For individuals who have experienced trauma or feel a sense of inferiority, expressing themselves freely can be particularly difficult.
Facilitators can address this barrier by simplifying the tasks, as in the case of the workshops in Germany and France, or by sharing their own stories or photos first, as in Greece. In any case, flexibility and sensitivity are essential for facilitators when navigating such challenges.
Diversity in Contexts and Target Groups
The contexts and target groups of the six workshops varied significantly. In Western European countries, the target groups, often reached through local NGOs, had not only different ethnic compositions but also different educational backgrounds compared to Hungary and Poland.
In France for instance, the group of learners has a much more modest educational background than the participants in the workshops in Poland or Hungary also including students in higher education.
Implementing art-based activities draws on the learners’ creative skills. Creativity is usually developed through regular encounters with cultural products which is more challenging for learners with interrupted educational backgrounds and with very few opportunities to get familiar with cultural and artistic products.
Facilitators would use a different approach to draw on the creativity of this latter group compared to the situation when they work with individuals more familiar with cultural institutions, such as museums, as was the case in Poland. When introducing cultural elements into language training, facilitators must evaluate learners’ cultural literacy alongside their reading, speaking, and writing skills.
With learners less familiar with the concept of creativity, cultural elements can only be introduced gradually, step by step, and only occasionally, in order not to make them feel uncomfortable and not to lead to the loss of their motivation and self-confidence.
So, even though introducing visual art based, creative and manual exercices has a high potential to boost self-confidence, it can also provoke the opposite if the task is too complex and demands too much additional effort to language learning. This is why, prioritising simplicity over tasks requiring proportionate manual or intellectual efforts is crucial. This is what we have learnt from COTA’s workshop when working with different objects to improve writing skills and with the stop motion technique or from CRN’s workshop when participants were asked to quote a poem.
Encountering these types of difficulties is sometimes ineluctable when experimenting with art and creativity in language classes.What remains important in this cases is to be flexible and ready to re-adapt and simplify the planned activities and/or to prepare different versions of the same task to be adaptable to different learning situations.
Scepticism of the Learners towards Art-Based Methods and the Use of Cultural References
Facilitators using art-based creative methods may encounter a more general scepticisme, as some learners may view these methods as childish or a waste of time.
This view is particularly common among adult learners, whose primary goal is efficiency and the rapide acquisition of specific knowledge.
Facilitators should carefully plan the timing and length of creative exercises to ensure that they align with learners’ priorities. Simplicity is crucial, as is integrating elements of learners’ everyday lives into the activities. Co-constructing learning objectives with the learners can also enhance engagement. At this stage, art-based tools that encourage free self-expression can be used effectively.
On the other hand, while adult learners are often very conscious of their specific needs—why, when, and how they need to use the language—in some cases, this awareness can lead to a narrow view of the language’s potential uses. Indeed, the learners’ objectives, especially for beginners, are not necessarily to widen their social networks or make new friends, but rather to be able to respond to situations they encounter, mostly within institutional and administrative contexts.
It is the facilitator’s task to introduce, despite the learners’ possible reluctance, some cultural elements into the teaching curriculum.
Project- and task-based outdoor activities—tasks that encourage direct contact with locals and the local environment—have proven to be effective. Participants, when properly guided through this exploration and experimentation, are generally enthusiastic about them.
Alternative to Linear Teaching Models
Linear curriculaums, existing manuals, and learning resources for language teaching often represent life situations and use terms and vocabulary that are quite distant from the learners’ real-life experiences.
Choosing appropriate resources, handouts, etc., represents a significant workload for the facilitators, as was often expressed during the interviews made with teachers and facilitators.
For this reason, many facilitators opt for non-linear teaching methods in situational learning, based on drama, conversations, and role plays. Easy-to-use, visual art-based teaching and learning tools and methods that can be implemented regularly can help diversify the learning experience and provide varied ways for learners to repeat and practice.
Art-based language learning opportunities can also encourage learners to participate in other social and cultural activities.
They can provide a safe, pleasant environment where learners can explore their creativity, freely experiment with their target language, and connect with others and native speakers at their own pace.
Facilitators’ Profiles and Challenges
The profile of the facilitators can also present challenges. Among the RELICA partners who were leading workshops, only half of the facilitators had a background in language teaching.
However, this reflects the reality of language teaching for the project’s specific target groups in many European countries. As highlighted by the background research and the interviews with educators, the sector is highly covered by NGOs and volunteers. Many of them, working with refugees and asylum seekers do not have a professional background in teaching.
The need to train and up-skill volunteers and to offer them easy-to-use resources designed for non professionals is also often mentioned. The non-professional workshop leaders experience and feedback on the use of holistic and non-linear facilitating methods based on art and creative practices is therefore an extremely valuable resource and enables the RELICA project to address the practices to both non professional volunteers and languages teachers.
The most important challenges reported which art, practice and project based methods can partially provide answers are:
- The importance to feel legitimate and at ease with the learners through sharing knowledge and skills form their own domain in parallel with language skills.
- The challenge of explaining the correct use of grammar or syntax could be overcome by the systematic use of linguistic structures, idioms, common expressions by the facilitators. Their transmission is ensured through encouraging learners to imitate, repeat and interact while focusing on exploration, and the use of all the senses instead of learning rules.
Heterogeneous Groups and Participation
The heterogeneity of language skills, educational backgrounds, and cultural knowledge within refugee and asylum seeker groups poses significant challenges. Some learners may lack basic literacy, while others may have a solid educational foundation. These differences necessitate adaptable teaching methods that cater to diverse needs.
By using art and practice based methods, incorporation of various tasks, facilitators can design exercises that develop multiple language skills simultaneously and so encourage active participation of all learners and allow of them effectively learn skills corresponding to their specific needs within the groups.
Art based activities in this configuration can be the most effective if they are designed to be practised in small groups.
This would not only improve group cohesion and empathy but would also value the learners’ existing skills and boost self-confidence.
Building on Previous Knowledge and Existing Skills
Art-based language education draws heavily on learners’ existing knowledge, including their cultural background, personal experiences, and native language. Activities like storytelling, role-playing, and creative writing provide opportunities for learners to incorporate their own life experiences into the learning process. This not only makes the content more relatable but also helps bridge the gap between what they already know and the new language they are learning.
By recognizing and incorporating existing sills and individual strengths, art-based methods create a supportive environment where learners feel empowered to participate actively. This also helps reduce anxiety, a common barrier in traditional language learning settings, as learners engage in familiar and enjoyable tasks while practicing language skills.
What’s coming next
Generally, art-based methods represent a holistic approach to language teaching and learning, addressing a wide range of skills and needs for both learners and facilitators.
Our next task is to systematize and categorize our growing collection of art-based teaching practices. This will allow us to provide detailed recommendations—alongside tutorials and descriptions—on how, when, and in which phases of the teaching and learning process these methods can be most effectively used.