Finding Language Classes: Designing a Digital Language Wizard with Refugees and Migrants

For migrants and refugees, settling in a host country often proves hugely problematic. The ability to communicate marks a significant step in the process of resettlement. The current high number of migrants coming to Europe has therefore meant that the need to improve and increase the availability of language provision has become more pressing. Nevertheless, due to the complexity of financial and legal regulations and of policy restrictions, access to and information about available courses are in practice hard to find, and non-funded volunteer initiatives are scarcely visible at all. To address this problem, a newly developed language-course wizard provides orientation for refugees and migrants. Findings indicate that its visual representation is apt to span a broad range of cultural as well as educational backgrounds. Our work demonstrates the need for a detailed approach to understanding the challenges that refugees and other migrants face in practice. Failing this, services frequently do not reach those they are intended for.