Learning a language is a lifelong process and requires motivation, patience, a great deal of effort to continuously observe, reflect, and apply the acquired knowledge and skills in practice. Building on an experiential learning approach to support lifelong learning offers a wide range of ways in which instructors can create and deliver engaging…

Older adults bring considerable experience and knowledge to the table, and many are already proficient in several languages, they just need to add English to their repertoire. The article describes different challenges that older English learners face and provides examples and ideas for accommodations that ESL instructors can provide to support…

Eighteen internationally trained professionals were paired-up with nine English language instructors for this project. Even though the focus was on extensive listening practice, the learners created spoken messages to send a response to their instructors every week. The schedule and deadlines established helped participants to be organized and…

Drawing from the pillars of lifelong learning, this article takes a look at two church-based English as a Second Language programs. While one of the settings has been in existence for over 20 years, the second setting has only been in existence for a few months. This article will identify what works in both settings and suggest recommendations for…

Civic education provides adult English learners with the tools to be able to actively engage in their communities. This knowledge allows them to gain agency, develop a sense of belongingness, and facilitate lifelong learning. However, teaching civic education can be challenging for instructors for many reasons, such as prioritizing on developing…

This qualitative study examines Latino Spanish-speaking inmates' participation in an English literacy project. The research questions were: What is the impact of the project on the participants' literacy development? How does a Latino literacy project for Spanish-speaking inmates facilitate parent engagement? Data collection included qualitative…

Refugees suddenly face life transitions and challenges such as the need to learn a new language, learn the rules of a new culture, endure traumatic situations, and loss; all of these are factors that impact their integration. This article describes the language and culture learning needs of adult refugees resettling in the United States suggests…

Critical pedagogy as an instructional approach to teaching and learning focuses on democracy, freedom, and the opportunity to challenge oppressive power structures founded upon hegemonic ideologies. This article presents a critical pedagogy approach to support the instruction of adult English language learners. Such an approach should adopt the…

As China is playing an active role in the World's politics, economy, and cultural circles, being able to communicate in English has become one of the basic life and work skills and a key for global access and integration. High mobile technology penetration, together with the proliferation of mobile learning applications, have made it possible for…

This chapter addresses the complexity of providing workplace ESL by identifying patterns of "best practices" in the related fields of human resource management, adult education, and training and development, all of which have a stake in workplace ESL and the integration of immigrant workers.

Whole language learning implies that teachers look at adult learners as whole persons rather than just ESL learners. It asks the teachers to see the learners in their classes as parents, spouses, employees or business owners, neighbors, churchgoers, and members of various communities. In other words, when they approach learners in their classes as…

This chapter explores how Mexican immigrants in a small central Texas town understand their roles and/or responsibilities as citizens in a democratic society regardless of their immigration status in the country. The author interviewed two men and four women about what they thought it meant to be civically engaged, and what--if any--they thought…

Community building is an important, if not essential, element of adult English as a second language (ESL) learning. Communities, whether civic, work, religious, or identity-based, are the contexts within which people cease to be alone and become connected with others. Language is the main tool for communicating with others in communities. For…

Dialogue journals (DJ) are used in a variety of educational settings, and the literature on them is vast. Teachers who have implemented the DJ in their classes report that reading the learners' entries and responding to them is a pleasant activity. Through writing back and forth in the journal, they get to know the learners, and all participants…

Formal and informal socialization influences the learning of immigrants and second-language students. Adult educators should take into account the following patterns: cultural models that affect attitudes and behavior, discontinuities between native and current culture, and differences between voluntary and involuntary immigrants. (Contains 28…