Social media and immigrants

[Enrique Tessieri]

Can social media serve immigrants if they are (a) not employed or (b) enrolled at school? Everyone understands the importance of networking. Social media looks like a good candidate to help such immigrants get connected. One of the first obstacles, in my opinion, is language and reaching out both ways. How can social media find immigrants and vice versa?
What social-media platforms could work or be potential candidates?

[Tuomo Turja]

I think immigrants have been using social media already quite a lot. Of course they need some purpose to that. Learning with social media may be easier if you just have the broadband connection. Also podcasts can be very useful when one can use them for learning with mp3's or iPods. The knowledge about local learning possibilities is important.

[Enrique Tessieri]

Hi Tuomo, thank you for your insightful comment. If immigrants have used social media a lot then the main aim would be to find out which platforms they use. I am relatively new to social media and was wondering if you could suggest from where to start? What about language? Would it be Finnish or through some electronic translator if the person does not speak Finnish, English or another language?

[Tsui-Shan Tu]

I think that social media has good potential to help immigrants get contact with each other or with native Finns, but many are not aware of the potential of it yet, so providing clear incentives would be a good idea. Besides, language is often an obstacle in many cases. Some are interested in joining online discussions, but when the platform is in Finnish they withdraw from it. For immigrants/foreigners who understand English, the simple phpbb forum has been working pretty well for many years, example: finlandforum.org or iesaf.fi

[Tuomo Turja]

Many learning tools may be good for communication based e-learning. Like Ning, Moodle or Google Docs. One should also get to know the services of the schools which have international studies or special courses for immigrants, not to forget the services and possibilities of Finnish Broadcasting Company and other broadcasting companies like BBC.

The structure of learning, starting from elementary lessons or studies, where there is possibility to start with other language, mostly English, and then continue learning more and more in Finnish (or Swedish) has to be built. That is not a challenge of social media but the whole education system. I still believe that social media has many properties which help us to build that kind of structure. The immigrants should also ask for such services; without demand there is no supply.

[Enrique Tessieri]

Hi Tsui-Shan, this is a very interesting point you make. Thus social media has good potential but its strength has not been yet fully realized by immigrants. Probably one of the first obstacles is finding a suitable platform (not so hard but requiring some effort) and then the most difficult one, which you pointed out correctly, is language. I have visited finlandforum.org and it is pretty good.
Do you believe that attracting people to a social media platform probably requires appeal and time for others to get to know it? Where would you start?
Tsui-Shan, I look forward to meeting you in Otava on the 13th. Thank you for commenting.

[Tsui-Shan Tu]

Hi Enrique,

Somehow I feel that for people who are not especially interested in social media, or not yet aware of its potential (be it immigrants or native Finns), it is always challenging to involve them with it. The first step is usually the most difficult one. Maybe one way is to use examples and show them concretely, how social media can benefit them in those things they need or care.

In my previous project (not about social media, but about increasing high-educated immigrants' working opportunities) I usually start from sharing my own experience first as an immigrant in Finland to other immigrants who face similar difficulties. It has worked quite well, so I guess that in the topic of social media, maybe we could do the same?

I am looking forward meeting you too this week. Thank you for bringing up the discussion here.

[Enrique Tessieri]

Hi Tuomo, the e-learning links you mentioned are very effective. Probably one way to "market" such a platform would be to offer practical and easy-to-get links and information. These probably exist, like Tsui-Shan Tu menionted (finlandformu.org and iesaf.fi). One friend suggested xihalife.com to break through the language barrier.

[Jos Schuurmans]

"Social media (...) to help (...) immigrants get connected." Do you mean connected to other immigrants? Or connected to the natives? Or both?

Seems that you came to the right place.

You've already received some good links to connect to the natives. I don't think there is "one" platform; rather, the social media at large are the platform. Be everywhere, on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Sometu, Cluetail and run your own blog. Share stuff you're interested in and over time you will get connected to people with similar interests. Some of them you may even meet IRL.

In addition to marrying a Finn, moving from Helsinki to a small village in eastern Finland has boosted my language skills :-) I also find the "conversational Finnish" course at the local high school quite rewarding.

Finns who don't speak your language are not going to reach out to you if you don't speak their's. So you'll have to learn their (or at least a common) language if you want to connect. I don't think translation technology is yet sufficiently mature and wide-spread to substitute for this.

[Enrique Tessieri]

Hi Jos, by "connected" I meant to Finns and other immigrants. As you know, one of the most important matters a person must do when he moves to a new country or city is networking and get lots of practical information. You are absolutely right about the role of language and networking. There must be some way to get around this.
Looks like we live in the same eastern Finnish town. We are planning to organize a workshop at Otavan Opisto on November 13-14 to discuss some of these issues and how to move ahead. It would be nice to see you then.

[Pirjo Friedrich]

Interesting points here!

I'm working with a project the aim of which is to connect immigrants to natives and public sector via social media. There we have got quite many ideas of possible social media solutions for immigrants. Although they are not directly linked to education, you are welcome to comment our draft ideas here: http://owela.vtt.fi/immigrantmedia/?owela_lang=en . We also organize a workshop around those ideas on Nov 12 in Helsinki. More information about that in the Owela site.

[Enrique Tessieri]

Hi Pirjo, and thank you for your input and the heads up. I will take a look at your site with more attention this afternoon.

[Tuomo Turja]

Good to know. Thank you, Pirjo.