EFL at Greek Second Chance Schools: Examining the Learning Needs of Muslim Adult Learners

Abstract

Discussions pertaining to minorities and their issues in education have recently been particularly heated in Greece, as changes which have occurred in Greece, Europe and at an international level, have triggered political and social turmoil and a reevaluation of cultural identities. The present paper attempts to contribute to this debate, concentrating on the Greek Muslim minority and their attempt to learn English as a foreign language (EFL) at Second Chance Schools (SCSs). The aim of this research is to explore Muslim individuals’ learning needs in relation to EFL at SCSs, the reasons which prompt them to learn the foreign language, as well as the difficulties they encounter in their quest for this knowledge. Therefore, both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were applied to increase the credibility and validity of the results. In addition, the issue was examined through the perspective of both learners and adult educators in order to present a more comprehensive picture of the situation. The findings have shown that Muslim learners have associated the benefits of learning English with practical matters such as communicating while travelling abroad and enhancing their professional prospects. As for the learning obstacles they face, these pertain to typical issues in adult learning such as lack of time and fatigue, as well as their deficient knowledge of the Greek language, which can interfere with their learning. Finally, both learners and instructors agree that learning English at SCSs could be upgraded with more teaching hours per week and appropriate infrastructure.