Different Learners, Different Needs: Comparing Post-Secondary and Adult EAL Education

Abstract

This reflective paper examines English as an additional language (EAL) learning in two British Columbia contexts: a credit-bearing post-secondary pathway program and a non-credit workplace-oriented program for adult newcomers. Drawing on my personal practical knowledge as a graduate teaching assistant (GTA) and graduate research assistant (GRA), this paper compares how learners use English to enter academic and workplace environments. My guiding question for this inquiry was as follows: How do EAL learners in a post-secondary pathway program and EAL learners in an adult workplace program experience language learning differently and similarly, particularly in relation to identity, belonging, and confidence. Rather than reporting empirical findings, I use reflective practice to connect classroom moments with previous research related to additional language socialization, adult learning, belonging, and teacher knowledge. I argue that although learners in these two types of programs have different goals and life circumstances, both groups benefit from more than just improving their accuracy in English. They also benefit from opportunities to be seen as capable, to practice meaningful communication, and to belong in new academic, workplace, and community spaces.