Ukrainian Refugees Learning Icelandic Through Drama Plays: A Multiliteracies Perspective

This chapter foregrounds the voices of two adult Ukrainian refugees learning Icelandic in Reykjavík. Research examining L2 learning by refugees has grown extensively considering the political instability of and between many nations today. However, this research tends to reflect traditional instructional settings, and more recently, the use of technology-based language learning tools. This chapter adds to the literature and scholarship from an educational perspective which deserves further attention: L2 learning through drama. More precisely, this chapter offers insight into the experiences of an underrepresented group (i.e., Ukrainian refugees) learning Icelandic, a less common language in the global landscape of L2 education research. The investigation presented in this chapter is also unique in that the drama-based L2 learning in focus is led by Polina, a Ukranian actor and theater instructor herself, rather than a local language teacher. The guiding questions for this investigation are: In what ways have drama plays contributed to refugees’ literacy development in Icelandic? How has engaging in drama plays contributed to refugees’ sense of well-being? The chapter concludes with recommendations for L2 research and practice.