The problem is English language learners (ELLs) in adult education and college programs in the United States need support in achieving learning goals due to a lack of qualified English as a second language (ESL) teachers in their home countries. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand how ELL students in Indiana perceive the…

Digital literacies are critical for adults from migrant and refugee backgrounds as they settle in a new country. However, institutions, leaders, and teachers often feel uncertain about how to teach digital literacies. Using the notions of digital literacy practices and assemblages, this article reports on a qualitative case study and explores how…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how bilingual full-time and adjunct university faculty in a dual-language program described their experiences with professional development to meet college English Language Learners (ELL) students' academic needs in the state of Florida. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews…

Existing research shows that identical cognates are read more quickly than noncognates. However, most studies focused on words presented in isolation or embedded in sentences. To address this gap, our exploratory eye-tracking study is the first to investigate the processing of cognates and noncognates in English subtitles. First, we tested whether…

ELLs need to engage with topics and situations in the classroom that equip them with the social, professional and civic cultural skills to address real-life interactions for their present realities, as well as their future realities (American, 2009, Garett, 2005; Perez & Morrison, 2016). Teachers face the challenge of balancing conventional…

The unprecedented shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique opportunity to research adult English language learners' lived experiences of online learning and motivations for persistence. With the growing trend of offering online learning to adult learners and concerns over the high attrition rates associated with…

The United States has been the global leader resettling refugees since the 1970s; its resettlement program is the largest in the world. The state of Texas has a high number of admissions and longstanding refugee programs which makes it a strategic site for research. This article reports findings of a reflective case study within an open enrollment…

In response to legislation from the federal government and the rising number of ELs in public schools many school districts are searching for ways to ensure ELs are making adequate progress on English proficiency. The problem is defining the best method for teaching ELs in the mainstream classroom is difficult. The current gap in educational…

The study uses a pre-test, post-test experimental randomised control group design to examine the effects of a blended learning environment on Chinese adult learners' English acquisition. At the initial stage the study constructed a blended learning environment composed of three parts: task-based online learning, group-based peer learning and…

ESL writing teachers face the challenge of providing written feedback that is both effective and motivating to students. Thus, many end up making use of praise (or positive feedback) before offering criticism. Only limited research has examined how students perceive praise, and few studies among the most recent have focused on praise above other…

Learning, particularly learning English is presented as a key part of integration for adult migrants in the UK. England and Scotland differ in how their policy approaches to integration include adult learning. This article aims to explore and uncover the ways in which adult education, particularly for refugees and asylum seekers is embedded and…

We have developed a program called Content Integrated Language Instruction for Adults, incorporating research-based practices in vocabulary and language instruction to facilitate a deep and broad understanding of complex content. A subset of words critical to comprehension of the subject matter is covered in each lesson, using group discussion and…

Many adult English language learners (ELLs) aspire toward postsecondary educational programs but do not go on to obtain college credentials after beginning classes in Adult Basic Education (ABE) or community college English as a second or other language classes to prepare for college-level English. Understanding how adult ELLs experience learning…

English learners with disabilities graduate from high school at lower rates than non-disabled, non-minority peers. These students face complex learning and performance challenges because of their learning disabilities and lack of English proficiency. The qualitative research question addressed how ten adult alternative high school English learners…

Many adult English learners enroll in U.S. Adult Basic Education programs every year. The federally defined goal of these programs is to increase adult learners' skills to enable them to enter the workforce, but it is not clear whether this purpose matches learners' own motivations for entering these programs. Using the lens of self-authorship…