This dissertation examines the role that culinary entrepreneurship communities of practice, using Lave and Wenger's Legitimate Peripheral Participation (LPP) model (Lave & Wenger, 1991), can lead to better social and economic inclusion for Middle Eastern Muslim refugee chefs in Utah. The life history approach was used to construct life histories for two Middle Eastern Muslim refugee chefs in Utah who joined the Spice Kitchen Incubator (SKI) program. SKI is a community of practice funded by the International Rescue Committee to assist refugee chefs in the resettlement process. This was an exploratory study, and given the limited number of cases reviewed, the conclusions cannot be generalized. However, this study concludes that SKI, as a community of practice, despite the many difficulties faced by refugee programs in the period 2016-2018 (the study period), had a positive impact on the social and economic inclusion outcomes for the participants.

Este estudio analiza las habilidades y necesidades comunicativas de 15 refugiados que asisten a clases de español como segunda lengua (EL2) en una organización no gubernamental (ONG) en España. Se ha utilizado un enfoque cuantitativo, empleando un cuestionario basado en las herramientas 25 y 31 proporcionadas por el proyecto de Integración Lingüística de Migrantes Adultos (LIAM) del Consejo de Europa. Los resultados revelan que los refugiados adultos que asisten a clases de EL2 valoran en gran medida la necesidad de comunicarse de manera efectiva en entornos laborales. Sin embargo, se sienten más seguros en sus habilidades comunicativas en situaciones relacionadas con restaurantes y compras. Además, los estudiantes perciben una discrepancia entre sus necesidades y habilidades comunicativas, especialmente en el uso de servicios legales y en entornos médicos, lo que indica que no se les está enseñando lo que específicamente necesitan y desean en el aula. Estos resultados sugieren la necesidad de que la educación de EL2 en España se adapte más a las necesidades específicas de los refugiados. El estudio subraya la importancia de desarrollar programas de idiomas que aborden las necesidades de comunicación únicas de los refugiados, facilitando en última instancia su integración en el país de acogida. / This study examines the communication abilities and necessities of 15 refugees attending Spanish as a Second Language (SSL) classes at a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Spain. A quantitative approach was employed, utilizing a questionnaire based on the Toolkits 25 and 31 provided by the Linguistic Integration of Adult Migrants (LIAM) project of the Council of Europe. The findings reveal that adult refugees attending SFL classes highly value the need to communicate effectively in work environments, however, they feel more confident in their communication abilities when it comes to scenarios related to restaurants and shopping. Moreover, students perceive a discrepancy between their communication needs and communication abilities, particularly in the use of legal services and in medical settings, indicating that they are not being taught what they specifically need and desire in the classroom. These results suggest the need for SFL education in Spain to be more tailored to the specific needs of refugees. The study underscores the importance of developing language programs that address the unique communication needs of refugees, ultimately facilitating their integration in the host country.