“I couldn’t have come in-person”: Empowering Displaced Voices Through Online Zoom English Teaching for Ukrainian Refugees

Abstract

We, a team of U.S.-born academics, a Ukrainian insider, and student volunteers, have started an online English as a Second or Other Language program for Ukrainian refugees. Over the course of this 18-month action research (AR) project, we conducted a survey, two sets of interviews, and maintained reflective journals. Working in circumstances rife with instability and trauma presents no easy solutions. Our aim was to harness online modalities to truly meet learners’ needs in ways that traditional programs may not. In this report, we reflectively share our experiences, potentially benefiting others who seek to meet the needs of displaced persons. This article specifically addresses challenges in learner persistence, program staffing, curricula, and logistical communication. We invite others to include community insiders in their research projects, suggesting that such inclusion can bridge communication gaps and share stakeholder perspectives deeply yet respectfully. We also remind readers that participation is a spectrum and that online modalities may enable the formation of more sustainable communities in ways not possible otherwise. Through this article, we hope to encourage dialogue about and consideration of the needs and participation of displaced stakeholders in new, deep, and practical ways.

Keywords

Ukrainian refugees online English language teaching practitioner action research displaced learners English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

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