The Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) Longitudinal Study is a two-phase, national, multi-site, qualitative research study funded by the Australian Government departments with responsibility for the AMEP. This includes the Department of Immigration and Border protection, the Department of Industry and Science and the Department of Education and Training. The aim of the study is to explore the relationship between patterns of language use and language learning in the AMEP among migrants in their first few years of settlement in Australia. The first phase (2008-09) followed 152 new-arrivals (dropping to 125 by the end of the study) for one year as they studied in the AMEP and then moved on to work, further study, and/or other endeavours. In the current Phase 2 (2011-14), 60 of the original cohort (Cohort A) and a new cohort of 85 migrants (Cohort B) are being followed. Data collection for the study involves regular interviews with participants, the collection of teaching materials from their English language classes, and observations and recordings made both inside and outside the classroom.

Reports

AMEP Longitudinal Study Final Report

This is the final report from the second phase of this project in which the language learning and settlement journeys of 145 participants are followed. It addresses questions of English language learning and use for two Cohorts, one who had also participated in the first phase and who had therefore been with the project for up to 5 years, and one who studied in the AMEP and joined the project in 2012, whom we followed for approximately 18 months. Recommendations for on-arrival English programs are suggested.

Yates, Lynda (2010).  Language training and settlement success: Are they related? Sydney: AMEP Research Centre. 

The first phase of the AMEP LS project found that there was a good match between the different types of language skills migrants need for their daily lives and material covered by the AMEP. Overall, however, the study also found that many migrants had little contact with Anglo-Australians and this meant that many had little opportunity to use English once they had left the AMEP.

Academic Publications

Taylor-Leech, Kerry (2010). "Now my hope is clear for building my future": How two young refugees build social connectedness. In Ann Dashwood and Jeong-Bae Son (Eds.) Language, Culture and Social Connectedness. pp. 115-135. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Taylor-Leech, Kerry and Yates, Lynda (2012). Strategies for building social connection through English: Challenges for immigrants and implications for teaching English as a second language. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 35 (2): 138-155.

Williams, Alan and Charlotte Setijadi-Dunn (2011). Visiting 'home': Contacts with the homeland, self-reflexivity and emergent migrant bilingual identities. TESOL in Context, 21(1): 40-56.

Yates, Lynda (2011). Interaction, language learning and social inclusion in early settlement. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 14(4): 457-471.

Yates, Lynda (2010). Language Training and Settlement Success: Are They Related? Sydney: AMEP Research Centre. http://www.ameprc.mq.edu.au/docs/LanguageTrainingSettlement_.pdf

Yates, Lynda and Maria Chisari (2014a). Fact Sheet 1: Confidence and language learning. Series: Building confidence in the classroom and beyond. Professional development resource. [link as above]

Yates, Lynda and Maria Chisari (2014b). Fact Sheet 5: An annotated bibliography of resources confidence building. Series: Building confidence in the classroom and beyond. Professional development resource. [link as above]

Yates, Lynda, Maria Chisari and Elizabeth Pryor (2014). Fact Sheet 4: Building confidence in the community. Series: Building confidence in the classroom and beyond. Professional development resource. [link as above]

Yates, Lynda and Elizabeth Pryor (2014a). Fact Sheet 2: Activities for building confidence in the classroom. Series: Building confidence in the classroom and beyond. Professional development resource. [link as above]

Yates, Lynda and Elizabeth Pryor (2014b). Fact Sheet 3: Building confidence outside the classroom - preparing learners. Series: Building confidence in the classroom and beyond. Professional development resource. [link as above]

Yates, Lynda and Agnes Terraschke (2013). Love, language and little ones: Successes and stresses for mothers raising bilingual children in exogamous relationships. In M. Schwartz and A. Verschik (Eds.) Successful family language policy: parents, children and educators in interaction, (105-125). Series Multilingual Education. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.

Yates, Lynda and Agnes Terraschke (2013). Which language to use at home and why it matters. In De Gioia, Katey and Whiteman, Peter. (Ed.). Children and Childhoods 3: Immigrant and refugee families, (pp. 41-54). Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars.

Yates, Lynda, Agnes Terraschke and Beth Zielinski (2012). Planning language use in bilingual families. Sydney: Macquarie University. [link as above]

Yates, Lynda and Beth Zielinski (2009). Give It a Go: Teaching Pronunciation to Adults. Sydney: AMEP Research Centre.  http://www.ameprc.mq.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/157664/interactive_sm.pdf.

Zielinski, Beth (2012). The social impact of pronunciation difficulties: Confidence and willingness to speak. In. John Levis and Kimberly LeVelle (Eds.), Proceedings of the 3rd Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Conference, Sept. 2011. (pp. 18-26). Ames, IA: Iowa State University.  Available online at:  http://jlevis.public.iastate.edu/Proceedingsfrom3rdPSLLT%20updated.pdf

Professional Development

Yates, Lynda and Beth Zielinski (2009). Give it a Go! Teaching Pronunciation to Adults. Sydney: AMEP Research Centre.

This resource is designed to support the teaching of pronunciation to migrants at all proficiency levels. It provides background theory on what is important in the teaching of pronunciation, advice on how to identify areas for focus with students and a host of practical activities that teachers can use in the classroom.

Yates, Lynda, Agnes Terraschke and Beth Zielinski (2012). Planning language use in bilingual families. Sydney: Macquarie University.

This is a resource on bilingualism and raising children bilingually in Australia, designed for use by language and counselling professionals working with migrants. The loss of the migrant's first language within a family can lead to communication difficulties between the children and their parents, grandparents or other family members. This can lead to or exacerbate difficulties in the family. The aim of this resource is to raise awareness of these issues among migrants and those who work with them. It includes background information on language learning and bilingualism, suggests strategies to help migrant families develop a language policy to suit their circumstances, and identifies useful resources to support them in their efforts to maintain their first language. Points made in the volume are illustrated using participants' stories from the data. These are also available in a simplified format for use with classes.

Fact Sheets - Building Confidence

These five fact sheets have been developed as part of Phase 2 of the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) Longitudinal Study. They provide teachers with information on the importance of developing confidence in the ESL learner.  

• Building confidence - Fact sheet 1
• Activities for building confidence in the classroom
• Building confidence outside the classroom - preparing learners
• Building confidence in the community
• An annotated bibliography of resources on confidence building

Further useful AMEP Fact Sheets on pronunciation and teaching issues and strategies can be found on the TESOL Resources page.