1. Issues impacting adult immigrants in Australia and New Zealand
Denise E. Murray
National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research
Macquarie University

2. Comparative immigration data
Country
Total Population 2001
Total Population 2000
Number of Immigrants 2000
Number of Refugees 2000
Number of Asylum Seekers 2000
Australia
19,386,700
19,169,083
92,272
59,700
12,510
Canada
31,592,805
31,281,092
252,088
123,300
24,730
New Zealand
3,864,129
3,819,762
44,598
4,800
3,030
United Kingdom
59,647,790
59,511,464
125,090
137,000
128,600
United States
278,058,881
275,562,673
849,807
513,900
580,900

3. Adult ESOL in Australia
National program (Adult Migrant English Program—AMEP)
National curriculum framework
Competency-based
Text-based syllabus
Learning outcomes assessed by tasks
Service delivery result of competitive tender process – public and private providers in all states and territories (including regional and rural)
Citizenship course
Youth-specific course in development

4. The need for English?
Non-proficiency – 10% reduction in earnings (Aust)
Higher levels of host country language proficiency (Aust)
Higher participation in labor force
Important for highly skilled occupations
Literacy needed for promotion and advanced levels of work
Language difficulties serious issue for social interaction, accessing services & confidence (Aust, NZ)

5. Adult ESOL in Australia
Clients
Three streams
Refugees and humanitarian (22%)
Family (62%)
Skill (13%)
Around 35,000 learners
142+ language backgrounds
Major source countries: China, Vietnam, Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan

6. Adult ESOL in Australia
National program (Adult Migrant English Program—AMEP)
National curriculum framework
Competency-based
Text-based syllabus
Learning outcomes assessed by tasks
Scaffolding
Service delivery result of competitive tender process – public and private providers in all states and territories (including regional and rural)
Citizenship course

7. Adult ESOL in Australia
Delivery modes
Full-time classes
Part-time classes
Distance learning
Home tutor scheme
Independent learning centres
Bilingual classes
Bilingual aides
Support: counselors, childcare, speakers (often multilingual)

8. Adult ESOL in Australia
National Research Centre
Research
Professional development
Publications
Resources

9. Professional Connections website
Feature spot
Conferences
Professional links
Professional reading
Teaching resources
Citizenship website
Assessment task bank

11. Program Evaluation: Australia
Date/type
Goals
1978 Galbally
1985 Campbell
2000 Reach & retention
2000 & 2006 client satisfaction survey
Longitudinal study of migrants (1993/4, 1999/2000)
Other Research
Galbally – review
Campbell – appropriateness of curriculum model
Reach & retention
Client satisfaction
Improvement of delivery & services

12. Program Evaluation: New Zealand
Date/type
Goals
2002 Research study
Learners’ English language learning experiences
Formal
Informal

13. Findings/Recommendations - Galbally
Focus on access:
Establishment of wide range of post-arrival services
Extension of full-time and range of advanced course
More workplace and Home Tutor Scheme
Stable triennial funding through AMEP
Increased job security

14. Findings/Recommendations - Campbell
Focus on quality of program delivery:
Teachers supported learner-centered, learner-negotiated curriculum
Teachers found too much demand on time and expertise
Perceived lack of continuity in program
Recommendation to develop curriculum guidelines with clear learner pathways

15. Findings/Recommendations – Retention
28% clients left program – no 510 hours or functional English
Largest withdrawals – Family Migration
Young women – Vietnamese & Arabic communities
Older adults in Chinese groups
Young adults from former Yugoslavia
Young adult Arabic speaking males
Reasons for withdrawal
Gaining employment
Family/childcare responsibilities
Fast pace of class
Discouraged by slow pace of progress
Wanting single-sex class
Lack of understanding of entitlement

16. Findings/Recommendations – Reach
Reasons for not beginning classes
Priority given to meeting other needs (eg, finding employment)
Misunderstanding of regulations
No culturally appropriate childcare
Lack of confidence in ability to cope with formal learning

17. Findings/Recommendations – Client Satisfaction Survey
Overall students satisfied with services provided
79% - AMEP helpful to feel more confident living in Australia
Some students less comfortable in mixed classes
Some students less happy with outcomes in writing in English

18. Findings/Recommendations – Longitudinal Study
An optimistic story
Migrants come for positive reasons, mainly related to family and quality of life
Recent migrants (especially Cohort 2) are very highly educated, mostly have good English, are healthy, if stressed, have quickly found jobs and suitable housing and mostly have adequate incomes
Many are well supported by family and friends on arrival, including the sharing of housing for those with lower incomes.

19. Findings/Recommendations – Longitudinal Study
The hard bits
Some migrants are having a difficult time
Hard to find good housing, a job, struggling on a low income and suffering quite high levels of psychological distress
Initially, life is much harder for Humanitarian migrants, but they are still very happy to be here.

20. Findings/Recommendations – New Zealand
61.7% joined in first year in NZ
Learners wanted more English language support
Own community
Government
Wider Kiwi community
Learners saw own responsibility
Providers
Learners diverse
Learners need flexible learning arrangements
Non-participation because of
Lack of confidence
Family attitudes
Religious belief
Larger role for government – free ESL provision
Call for national policy

21. Research findings Age Gender Speaking Vs literacy Use of L1
Perception of age
Memory
Responsibilities
Mixed ages
Influence of prior learning and experiences
Preferences: e.g. younger learners enjoy computer based learning - the older ones don’t
Gender
Speaking Vs literacy
Use of L1

22. Research findings Youth African refugees/humanitarian learners
Unaccompanied minors
School or AMEP?
African refugees/humanitarian learners
Diverse communities—highly educated, minimal schooling
Unrealistic expectations
Survivors of torture and trauma
AMEP teachers friendly and supportive - learners rated teachers positively - cf ‘strictness’ of teachers in previous education
Not always sure of the ‘seriousness’ of learning in AMEP classes

23. Changes based on Research
Pre-CSWE
Less focus on literacy for all
SPP – additional 100 hours
Youth SPP – additional 400 hours
Bilingual provision
Pre-vocational and vocational courses
First aid
Driver education IT
Youth-specific curriculum

25. Issues Ideology Literacy or ESL? Provision Assessment
assimilationist or settlement
cheap labour or reaching individual potential
Literacy or ESL?
conflation
Provision
510 hours
de-professionalised field
Assessment
formative - progress
summative - high stakes
pathways