Syrian Refugee Children’s Language Learning: A Multiple Case Study in the Turkish Context

Abstract

Refugee-background children face the challenge of acquiring a new language in the country where they resettle. Most studies of refugee language development occur among populations living in English-speaking countries, such as the United States, Canada, and England, yet many refugees have found refuge in countries like Turkey, which is home to nearly four million Syrian refugees, many children. These children face similar challenges as those in the studies mentioned above, yet are only recently finding representation in published works. Informed by hermeneutic phenomenology, this multiple case study explored three Syrian refugee-background students’ experiences of learning Turkish as a second language in the K-12 classroom and their parents’ views related to learning Turkish and Arabic. The data were elicited through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with the students’ parents and teachers, and student artifacts like written work, projects, handouts, and other class materials. The data were analyzed using a qualitative approach, specifically thematic coding and content analysis. The findings of the study shed light on the students’ learning of Turkish as a second language in Turkey and the incredible support their families provided.