Navigating life in a new country can mean dealing with a different language, unfamiliar procedures, and services that are not always easy to understand. Reading an official communication, booking a medical appointment, or using an online service can become complex experiences in which support from others can make a big difference.
Receiving support, however, does not necessarily mean handing over responsibility. Support can respond to an immediate need while also becoming an opportunity to develop new tools and greater confidence in one’s own abilities.
The question, then, is: how can we respond to an immediate need without simply solving the problem, but instead creating the conditions for it to be handled with greater confidence and autonomy in the future?
This is precisely the approach taken by LiLI – Life and Language Skills + Intersectionality for Migrant Women Integration, which connects language learning with life skills to support migrant women on their paths towards greater autonomy.
Autonomy is built step by step
Being autonomous is not only about making big decisions. It is something that takes shape day by day, through even very simple actions: asking for clarification, understanding who to contact, finding reliable information, expressing a need, considering different options, or making a decision.
To do this, knowing the language is not enough. It is also necessary to understand and interpret information, navigate different options, communicate one’s needs, and manage the uncertainty that can accompany new or unfamiliar experiences.
This is where life skills come into play: problem-solving, decision-making, effective communication, critical thinking, and awareness of one’s own resources. These are tools that help people navigate everyday life with greater confidence and participate more actively in the world around them.
Autonomy, moreover, does not mean doing everything on your own. Recognising when support is needed, knowing who to turn to, and being able to ask for help are also important skills. The aim, therefore, is not to eliminate support, but to ensure that it gradually expands a person’s ability to act and make choices.
From assistance to empowerment
For educators and professionals, this involves a small but meaningful shift in perspective. Alongside the question:
“How can I help solve this problem?”
we can ask another:
“What can we do together so that, next time, there are more tools available to deal with a similar situation?”
In practice, this might mean preparing a conversation together before an appointment rather than stepping in directly; showing someone how to complete an online procedure and then giving them space to try it themselves; or exploring different options together when facing a problem, without immediately pointing to what we believe is the “right” solution.
The key is to gradually shift from doing “for” someone to doing “with” them, leaving more and more space for initiative and experimentation. As familiarity, knowledge, and confidence grow, the support provided can also evolve and become less direct.
In the context of inclusion, this approach is particularly important: it is not only about being able to complete a specific task, but also about being able to express one’s needs, make informed choices, and participate actively in social life.
From learning to practice
These are the principles behind LiLI – Life and Language Skills + Intersectionality for Migrant Women Integration.
LiLI combines language learning with the development of skills that are useful in different areas of life – from employment and access to services to social participation – starting from concrete experiences that reflect the everyday realities of migrant women.
The aim is not only to acquire knowledge, but to learn how to use it in practice. For this reason, the learning pathway promotes activities based on real-life situations, guided problem-solving, opportunities to make choices, reflection, and experimentation.
Learners are therefore not passive recipients of information or solutions, but active participants in their own learning journey: they can gain experience, try things out, engage in dialogue, make decisions, and gradually recognise their own resources and strengths.
From this perspective, what is learned does not remain within the learning environment: it becomes a tool that can be used when accessing services, at work, in relationships, and in everyday decision-making.
This is the shift from help to empowerment: not doing things on someone else’s behalf, but creating the conditions for each person to make choices, take action, and make their voice heard.
Your skills, your voice!
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