Applying UDL Principles to Technology-Enhanced Language Learning for Adult Migrants

Illiteracy represents a barrier to personal development, economic opportunities, and social participation for at least 763 million adults globally, and among these, even more so for adult migrants striving to integrate into new host countries. Lack of literacy makes it harder to learn a language, limits access to essential services and employment and makes migrants vulnerable to exploitation and exclusion due to difficulties navigating bureaucratic processes. Even though many host countries offer specific language courses to migrants, such programs do not always manage to accommodate the diverse needs of these learners, whose literacy background is often highly heterogeneous. Within this context, technology may represent a useful resource to support such learners. Thanks to its capacity to transcend geographical and physical constraints and to offer tailored and adaptive learning experiences, technology-enhanced language learning (TELL) has recently emerged as a valuable tool in promoting inclusivity in Language education. Consequently, a growing number of mobile applications and online platforms incorporating literacy alongside language activities have started to appear. To understand whether such tools can meet the needs of this population, our study sets out to examine the features of the mobile applications proposed in the Italian context. Specifically, our analysis focuses on evaluating the extent to which the materials and activities align with UDL principles and are accessible to learners with fragile literacy skills. Our analysis revealed an inconsistent application of UDL principles across the apps. The full implementation of such principles might be hindered by the limited resources allocated for app development for this specific population, which may restrict the integration of advanced features like Text-to-Speech and voice recognition technologies. Moreover, the potential of TELL appears underutilised, as there is a tendency to replicate traditional language learning activities and materials on a digital platform.