Australian Journal of Adult Learning - Volume 65 - Number 1 - April 2025 - Challenges and opportunities in empowering adult CALD learners: Insights from Australian adult community educators

Oct 15, 2026

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Paper examines how adult education can foster belonging, community, and empowerment for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) adult learners in Australia. It identifies complex educator challenges when aligning policy constraints, diverse learner needs, and practitioners’ professional development. Drawing on interviews with practitioners across adult education programs, it analyzes how language learning connects to individual and collective transformation, shaping agency, participation, and community social solidarity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

CALD adult learning and adult community education pathways

Challenges for educators: policy, learner needs, and professional development

Language learning and empowerment: individual and collective transformation

Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 65, Number 1, April 2025 Challenges and opportunities in empowering adult CALD learners: Insights from Australian adult community educators Anneleis Humphries University of Melbourne Gosia Klatt University of Melbourne As Australia's population becomes increasingly diverse, this paper examines how adult education can foster belonging, community, and empowerment for CALD learners-a critical issue with broad societal implications. While Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) adult education aims to empower learners, this paper uncovers the complex challenges educators face in navigating policy, learner needs, and their own professional development to achieve this goal. This paper explores the intersection of language learning in adult education and the role of individual and collective transformation in promoting empowerment. We draw on interviews with practitioners from various adult education programs that work with CALD students, to examine how they understand empowerment in their work. The themes that arose demonstrate the complexity of the ¿eld and the challenges faced by adult educators in navigating policy limitations, learner needs, and their own professional development requirements.. Challenges and opportunities in empowering adult CALD learners: 11 Insights from Australian adult community educators Keywords: CALD, empowerment, collective transformation, teachers Introduction With up to 40% of Australians functionally illiterate (ABS 2013, OECD 2017) -and non-native language Australians and immigrants PDNLQJ XS D VL]HDEOH SRUWLRQ RIWKLV QXPEHU 􀀐 WKH QHHG IRU H̆HFWLYH language learning programs has never been more urgent. This is hugely problematic for a highly developed Western democracy like Australia DV ODQJXDJH OHDUQLQJ KDV VLJQL¿FDQW EHQH¿WV IRU LQGLYLGXDO ZHOO􀀐EHLQJ􀀏 independence, participation and career advancement. Language learning classrooms are also an opportunity to promote belonging, community, and empowerment. Considerable time, money, and KXPDQ UHVRXUFHV DUH LQYHVWHG LQ DGGUHVVLQJ OLWHUDF\ OHYHOV􀀞 KRZHYHU􀀏 scholars and practitioners are still learning about creating meaningful connections between literacy and community building in this way. This LV D VLJQL¿FDQW LVVXH􀀏 DV ODQJXDJH OHDUQLQJ FODVVURRPV DUH RIWHQ WKH ¿UVW exposure for migrants and refugees to not only understand Australian values but also recognise how their own skills and knowledge can FRQWULEXWH WR $XVWUDOLDQ OLIH􀀏 ḊUPLQJ WKHLU PXOWLOLQJXDO LGHQWLWLHV LQ their new home. With almost a third of Australia’s population being born overseas, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) adult education-which LV R̆HUHG ZLWKLQ $GXOW &RPPXQLW\ (GXFDWLRQ 􀀋$&(􀀌 DV ZHOO WKURXJK the vocation providers (e.g. public TAFE) -becomes a critical pathway, especially for recent migrants or refugees. In the Australian federal system, each state and territory sets its own education policies in the adult sector. The states of Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) have the two largest ACE sectors in Australia. In Victoria, over 270 FRPPXQLW\􀀐EDVHG UHJLVWHUHG SURYLGHUV 􀀋NQRZQ DV /HDUQ /RFDOV􀀌 R̆HU SURJUDPV WR DOPRVW 􀀛􀀓􀀏􀀓􀀓􀀓 VWXGHQWV􀀞 LQ 16:􀀏 &RPPXQLW\ &ROOHJHV Australia is a peak body that represents adult education providers LQFOXGLQJ 7$)(􀀏 FRPPXQLW\ FROOHJHV DQG QRW􀀐IRU􀀐SUR¿W DGXOW SURYLGHUV with over 168,000 enrolments (Community Colleges Australia 2022) . 7KHVH SURYLGHUV R̆HU QRQ􀀐DFFUHGLWHG􀀏 SUH􀀐DFFUHGLWHG􀀏 DQG DFFUHGLWHG programs focusing on the provision of adult basic education including programs in literacy, numeracy, digital skills and generic employability 12 Anneleis Humphries and Gosia Klatt skills. ACE has been essential in assisting disengaged and/or educationally disadvantaged adults to stay connected to education and community or obtain/maintain employment. Adult CALD education supports language learning, as well as the acquisition of common cultural norms, values, and skills

FAQs

What is the paper’s main focus on empowering adult CALD learners?

It examines how adult education fosters belonging, community, and empowerment for CALD learners, emphasizing the educator challenges involved in achieving these goals.

What challenges do adult educators face when working with CALD learners?

The paper highlights difficulties in navigating policy limitations, matching programs to learner needs, and managing educators’ own professional development requirements.

How does language learning relate to empowerment in adult education?

The paper explores the intersection of language learning and empowerment, linking language learning classrooms to individual growth and community development through both individual and collective transformation.

Oct 15, 2026

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