Drawing on recent scholarship integrating usage-based linguistics (UBL) and conversation analysis (CA) in the investigation of second language development, this paper reports on a microanalysis tracing one adult learner's recurring, increasingly frequent, and diverse use of the multiword expression "det er sant" (it/that is true) (DES)…

This paper highlights Kanien'kéha (Mohawk language) "adult immersion" as an effective and expedient program structure for creating second-language (L2) speakers and argues that concentrated efforts to strengthen and expand adult immersion are essential in advancing Kanien'kéha revitalization. By conducting a comprehensive vitality…

We describe a longitudinal (5-year) researcher-supported initiative designed to strengthen the research-practice link (RPL) and serve as an effective form of situated professional learning and development (PLD) in adult second language programs. We facilitated the formation of and supported 9 professional reading groups of 6-12 instructors (N =…

This study aimed to investigate the reasons for low enrollments in a related teacher preparation program alongside seemingly high attrition rates among instructors in the field of teaching English to adults and determine if any solution could be found to encourage people to not only enter the field but persist in the career. A review of current…

In France, including the region of Alsace, German is taught as a foreign language. German is also taught as the regional language in Alsace and is presented in the following two forms in the national education legislation: the Alemannic and Franconian dialects (known as Alsatian), and Standard German. The latter is considered the written form of…

This article discusses the findings of qualitative case-study research that looks at pedagogical contexts of adult education programs for migrants in Cyprus, Scotland, Malta, and Estonia. The goal of this research is to understand how Learner-Centered Education (LCE) is promoted within a human-rights framework and implemented as an approach to…

This article reports a case study of older adults learning English in China. It indicates how, founded on consequentialist ethics, risk analysis, and safeguarding, it was decided to use covert research, drawing on the confluence of risk analysis, risk evaluation, risk management, safeguarding, research ethics, and important contextual and cultural…

Disabled people encounter numerous barriers to accessibility and face discrimination and inequalities in their daily lives. The situation is even more complex for migrants with a disability, who have to learn how to navigate a new bureaucratic system. This study focuses on deaf adult migrants and the linguistic and bureaucratic challenges they…

In this article, adult English language learning is historicized and situated within the context of globalization and empire building. The purpose of this article is to link adult English as a second language (ESL) learning with imperialism and globalization, but also reveal that there is great radical potential within spaces of adult ESL for…

For decades, the majority of educational research has been preoccupied with understanding as a "product"--as various "learning achievements" and "subject mastery" to be measured and subsequently represented as statistics or test scores. This preoccupation is also observed in the field of second language education,…

Adult migrants need to attain proficiency in the language of their host society to fully integrate into those communities and lead meaningful lives. The concept of literacy, centred on reading and writing, has evolved to encompass multiliteracies, integrating linguistic, social, and digital aspects. This broader approach acknowledges that learners…

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…

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore adult immigrant learners' perspectives and motivations for participating in an ESL program through the lens of McClusky's Theory of Margin. Nine adult immigrant ESL students were interviewed about their learning experiences. Creswell's (1994) systematic process informed the…

This article explores how research on the teaching of pragmatics, specifically as it relates to the use of explicit and implicit instruction, can serve as a guide for expanding the instruction of social language to immigrant students in Australia as well as other students. The curriculum and expectations from the Australian Migrant English Program…

English as an additional language (EAL) adult literacy learners have special needs and unique characteristics. The various challenges they face include decoding, comprehending, and developing basic skills for reading and writing. At the same time, it is extremely important to understand EAL adult literacy programming, as the right approaches for…