Sudanese and English???

[intothesun]

Hi All,

I am currently researching the role of English and Sudanese refugees living in English speaking countries.

I would love to hear from any teachers, or Sudanese refugees/students, and their thoughts about the needs of Sudanese refugees in regards to learning English. For example, What kind of English is necessary when they settle into a new country?

Kindest thanks!

[Tdol]

Would the needs of a Sudanese refugee be very different from those of refugees from other countries?

[intothesun]

Yes, of course the needs are different from other refugees.
Think about how Africans and how, say, Vietnamese refugees speak English...Sudanese refugees learn from an oral culture, which heavily impacts on how they learn English - for instance, their lack of knowledge on written text or print roman script is difficult for them to learn when in a new country. There are many other reasons, too. Each culture is obviously different, and learns differently, therefore has differing needs.

[Tdol]

Oral cultures are far from confined to Sudanese refugees. How, for example, are they so very different pedagogically from refugees from Somalia who often have a similarly oral cultural background?