The Challenges on Welcoming and Teaching Portuguese to Immigrant and Refugee Students in Basic Education

Forced migration has occasioned a higher number of displaced students in the Brazilian scholar system. The main purpose of this paper is to approach, through the teacher's perspective, the challenges faced when welcoming and teaching immigrants and refugees students who are registered in basic education in two towns in Serra Gaucha, Rio Grande do Sul. This research, based on quantitative and qualitative methodology, discusses the teaching of Portuguese as a Welcoming Language and teacher's training in a plurilingual outlook. The data analysis is achieved by Content Analysis. The results indicate the necessity of teacher's training focused on teaching Portuguese to immigrants and refugees while the teachers are still in graduation courses and the accomplishment of public policies to welcome these students. By the end of the paper, some actions are suggested in order to promote the learning and integration of these subjects in Brazilian society, guaranteeing them the right to education and to the establishment of citizenship.