issues impacting adult immigrants in australia and new zealand denise e. murray national centre for...
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Issues impacting adult immigrants in Australia and
New Zealand Denise E. Murray
National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research
Macquarie University
Comparative immigration dataCountry 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
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
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)
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
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
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)
Adult ESOL in Australia
• National Research Centre– Research– Professional development– Publications– Resources
http://www.nceltr.mq.edu.au
• Professional Connections website– Feature spot– Conferences– Professional links– Professional reading– Teaching resources– Citizenship website– Assessment task bank
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
Program Evaluation: New Zealand
Date/type Goals
2002 Research study Learners’ English language learning experiences
•Formal
•Informal
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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
Research findings
• Age– 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
Research findings
• Youth– 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
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