Ukrainian refugee adults' social inclusion: motivation in learning the Lithuanian language and culture

Abstract

February 24, 2023, marked one year since the start of the war in Ukraine. There was a massive arrival of refugees to nearby countries from the beginning. In the case of Lithuania, a country with less than three million inhabitants, more than 60,000 refugees arrived- of which only 6% have returned to Ukraine. While minors make up more than a third of the refugee population, there are also approximately 60% of adults of working age, half of whom are currently working in Lithuania. The research aims to analyze the effect of learning the Lithuanian language and its culture as a critical factor for the inclusion of adult refugees in this Baltic country. It continues a previous research project that pointed out that the refugees did not encounter language barriers upon their arrival in Lithuania since they could communicate using third languages (English, with the young Lithuanian population; Russian, with the older Lithuanians 40 years). Nevertheless, they were highly motivated to learn the Lithuanian language and culture, driven by the desire to achieve better social inclusion in the country and show respect to the community that received them. The current research questions whether the motivations to learn the host country's language and culture have evolved, considering that now the refugees' stay in Lithuania is seen as a long-term solution rather than a short-term one. The typology of refugee students and the evolution of the didactic dynamics used by teachers are also studied. Methodologically, the research focuses on a Lithuanian language and culture course for adults taught at a university in Vilnius, the country's capital. It is conducted through semi-structured interviews with Ukraine students, also with international students from other nationalities. Additionally, the content analysis reflects ideas from the interview participants, organized into categories and subcategories that allow a more systematic approach applicable to other future studies. The results show that the participating Ukrainian students have similar profiles and motivations, constituting a relatively homogeneous study group. Compared to them, students of other nationalities also share similar characteristics and motivations, although very different from those of Ukrainian students. Among the conclusions, the desire to improve social-affective inclusion in the country stands out among the main motivations that have prompted refugees to participate in the course. In addition, other motivations of a practical nature appeared- they are focused on the labor field and specific knowledge needs under the professional orientations of each student. Among international students of other nationalities, the intellectual challenge of learning a language that they consider interesting and complex stands out. Future lines of research propose to compare the case of Ukrainian adult refugees in other countries, analyzing the learning processes of local languages and the motivations involved.