Listening to Migrant Women – What Our Research Revealed

What does it take to feel confident and independent in a new country? Learning the language is certainly important, but knowing how to use it in everyday situations can be just as challenging.

As part of the LiLI – Life and Language Skills for Migrant Women project, we conducted focus groups in Germany with migrant women and professionals working in adult education and migrant support. Our aim was to better understand the challenges women encounter in everyday life and identify how language learning and life skills development can help address them.

The discussions highlighted the close connection between language skills and everyday independence. Whether communicating with public authorities, accessing healthcare, looking for employment or building social relationships, women need more than vocabulary and grammar. They also need opportunities to practise communication, make decisions, solve problems and gain confidence in unfamiliar situations.

Another important finding concerns the different circumstances in which migrant women live and learn. Previous educational experiences, family responsibilities, employment situations, digital skills and access to support can all influence their opportunities. This underlines the importance of an intersectional approach that recognises individual circumstances rather than assuming that all migrant women have the same needs.

The professionals’ perspectives reinforced the value of practical, flexible and learner-centred approaches that connect language learning with real-life situations.

What happens next?

The findings are feeding into the development of LiLI’s Language & Life Skills Learning Catalogue and the Intersectionality Toolkit for professionals. Together, these resources aim to make learning more accessible, relevant and empowering.

Because successful integration is not simply about learning a language – it is also about being able to use it to participate confidently in everyday life.