The integration fund sounds the alarm: seven in ten people who received asylum or subsidiary protection in Austria this year need literacy. So you have to learn the Latin alphabet first. Compared to 2019, this is a huge increase of half.
Every fourth German course place funded by the Integration Fund (ÖIF) in 2022 was a literacy place, and the trend is increasing, emphasizes Carla Pirker, who is responsible for this area at the ÖIF. A rapidly growing proportion of this group of people is in need of what is known as primary literacy, so those affected have never learned to write in their native language.
Literacy deficiencies lead to further problems
The low level of education makes language integration considerably more difficult. People who are not literate make less progress in learning German and are less likely to achieve the learning goal of the course level. Based on ÖIF data, only every third person with a literacy need subsequently passes an integration test, but these people take significantly more German courses than literate people.
Integration Fund sets priorities
Together with international experts, the fund has developed its own curriculum for literacy courses, thereby establishing uniform quality standards. The size of the courses was already adjusted last year to the declining education level of the target group. A specific in-service training program should ensure that teachers in literacy courses are optimally trained to work with low-skilled people.
Online course offensive also for working people
To support immigrants regardless of time and place, the ÖIF offers a wide range of daily online German courses for beginners and advanced students at www.sprachportal.at. From Monday to Friday, there are daily courses at language level A1, A2, B1 and B2, which you can participate in for free and without registration. Job specific online German courses on gastronomy, hotel industry and tourism, as well as food retail are mainly aimed at working immigrants.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
