UEPB

[:pb]UEPB English Language undergrad student will develop a language teaching project for war refugees in the Middle East[:]

[:pb]A student from the English Language Studies undergraduation course at Paraíba State University (UEPB) is taking his final essay as an opportunity for more than fulfilling an academic demand and obtain his undergraduate diploma. Truly excited and interested in his research theme, Filipe Arruda de Castro, who is currently in the 5th semester of the course, in the Campus of Campina Grande, wishes to go beyond by developing a project that connects social relevance, volunteering and personal satisfaction.

Through the project “Teaching English language to refugees in the Middle East: a matter of Human Rights”, he intends to develop a cultural interchange in Jordan, an Arabic-speaking country in the Middle East, where the largest refugee camp for Syrians in the region has been established, to teach English classes to young refugees that have never had this opportunity, helping them rescue their dignity by acquiring another language and by enhancing their professional perspectives.

The exchange is scheduled to take place in the beginning of 2020, and the plan is for it to last for 6 months. The student will work as a volunteer at Aylah Center (a center that supports war refugees in two units, one in the capital, Amman, and another one in Mafraq, in the frontier between Jordan and Syria). “Refugees may find informal jobs in Jordan, since someone who is not Jordanian cannot perform a formal professional activity in the context of the region. This ends up deepening the segregation even deeper”, highlights the researcher.

Meanwhile, FIlipe will collect data for his final essay, developing a case study that will help him write the dissertation. He has the support of both his supervisors at UEPB, Professor José Celso de Lima Júnior, from the area of English Language Studies, and Professor Lígia Pereira dos Santos, from the area of Education and Human Rights. According to Filipe, the Aylah Center develops this sort of work since 2011, and he intends to collaborate with his knowledge, to make the teaching activity promote social mobility through the acquisition of a new language. “I also want to show the refugees that they do not need to stay in Jordan, that they can also go to other countries, search for refuge in places where languages other than Arabic are spoken“, he explained.

As for the expectations about developing this project, Filipe says he is excited and that he is willing to bring benefits to the research at UEPB, to himself, since he will experience a lot, but also to the refugees which are involved. “In a way, this is a reflection to our own country. Mankind has been living in a bubble, and I would appreciate people to reflect more about minorities that need our attention, so that they leave individualism and foster human relations, especially regarding those who have no freedom”, he said.

Filipe is collecting contributions and crowdfunding to make his project and the exchange possible. He can be contacted by email, filipecastrofac@gmail.com or by telephone +55 (83) 9 8203-5763.[:]