Extract from cover of “Life in a new Language” by Sadami Konchi (©Sadami Konchi)
Are you excitedly waiting for the publication of Life in a new language?
Life in a new language is our new book about the language learning and settlement experiences of 130 migrants to Australia from 34 different countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America over a period of 20 years. Coauthored by Ingrid Piller, Donna Butorac, Emily Farrell, Loy Lising, Shiva Motaghi-Tabari, and Vera Williams Tetteh, the book will be out from Oxford University Press early next year.
In the meantime, we have now published a Twitter mini-portrait of each of the 130 participants on whose experiences we draw in our research. To save you heading over to Twitter, we’ve brought these together here in this post for your reading pleasure. (There are 131 tweets so the page might take a bit longer to load than usual.)
The portraits are ordered chronologically in order of publication on Twitter from the first one about Katja from Poland, which we published on March 07, to the last one about Abenet from Ethiopia, which only dropped a few hours ago.
Within the broad topic of language learning and settlement, the themes addressed in these mini-portraits are the same that animate the book: the initial language shock; the struggle to find employment consonant with one’s qualifications and skills; the challenge to make new friends and find a voice in interaction; building new family relationships and raising bilingual children; facing racism and discrimination; and finding a new sense of belonging and home.
The cover art for Life in a new language is once again produced by the amazing Sadami Konchi, who also is the artist whose work is on the cover of Intercultural Communication and Linguistic Diversity and Social Justice. This extract from her cover art for Life in a new language offers a sneak peak of her collage for our book cover. We believe the image perfectly captures a cross-section of Australia’s diverse society and the people behind Life in a new language.
To keep informed about publication updates related to Life in a new language make sure to subscribe to our newsletter when you get to the bottom of this page (in the right corner of the footer).
Meet each of the 130 migrants in our book over the next months in a serialized Twitter thread 🧵
2nd: Lena from Russia
Lena realized her white privilege from observing casual racism and selective incivility towards Asian people at her new tennis club in Australia.
2/n pic.twitter.com/BqiinZX2Nl— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) March 8, 2023
Meet each of the 130 migrants in our book over the next months in a serialized Twitter thread 🧵
#4: Nina from Sierra Leone
Nina had trained as an auto mechanic back home. In Oz, sexist and racist harassment pushed her out of the trade.💔4/n
— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) March 10, 2023
Migrants are often made to feel out of place
Dagmar from Austria was told to "Go back home" when she made a passing observation about Australian drinking culture in a pub
6/n pic.twitter.com/RRKeTAAXbG— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) March 14, 2023
Yumiko from Japan came to Australia to find love
As a teenager, Yumiko developed a crush on Tom Cruise. In Australia, she hoped to meet people like him
8/n pic.twitter.com/KFqE2LF1fH— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) March 16, 2023
Bernardo from the Philippines also came to Australia for work
The IT technician makes prefabricated homes ready for computer set-up. The job does not pay enough to allow him to bring his wife and 4 kids to Oz to be with him.
10/n pic.twitter.com/GW7sP57ddy— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) March 20, 2023
International #HigherEd is Australia's 3rd largest export
Aiko from Japan first came to Australia as an international student. After graduation, she stayed on and now works in a senior management role.
12/n pic.twitter.com/lAJIZbeP1Y— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) March 22, 2023
Ishetu from Congo spoke 5 languages when she arrived in Australia. Despite her disrupted education, learning English did not daunt her. After graduating from TAFE with a hairdressing degree, she now runs her own African hair salon.
14/n pic.twitter.com/OoEX6vdWd5— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) March 24, 2023
Benjamin from Sudan pined for the "pure" British English he had learned back home, instead of the incomprehensibly fast Strayan he encountered in Australia.
16/n pic.twitter.com/mdIFQ20d6O— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) March 28, 2023
Roxana from Iran appreciated freedom of speech in Australia, yet felt her English wasn't good enough to express her "cheeky" personality. Sometimes, she felt like she had a "big lock" on her lips.
18/n pic.twitter.com/zN9zF3PdFH— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) March 31, 2023
"Where are you from?"
Most of our participants resented that question so much.
Paulo from Portugal pushed back by responding “Why do you ask?” And they say, “Oh because you have an accent.” And I say, “Does that bother you?”
19/n pic.twitter.com/CHQltIIctn— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) April 2, 2023
Sally from Zimbabwe was complimented for having a driver’s license (as do 95% of middle-aged Australians …) “Aren’t you a clever girl?!” her neighbour cooed. In the moment, Sally couldn’t think of a good comeback.
What would you have said?
21/n pic.twitter.com/mUOECZYDf7— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) April 5, 2023
Donaldo from the Philippines has been celebrating Easter Sunday mass away from his family. Attending church with his family is what he misses most in Australia.
23/n pic.twitter.com/6eQXDBa1do— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) April 9, 2023
Osman from Ethiopia was a trained and experienced teacher when he arrived in Australia in 1999. Despite completing additional Australian teaching qualifications and a teacher shortage, he never found a job as a teacher and made a living as a casual accountant.
25/n pic.twitter.com/rQNWjCXGNl— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) April 12, 2023
When do migrants belong to their new country?
Julio from Chile celebrated how he no longer felt self-conscious about speaking English after about 2 years in Australia. He believed he belonged in Australia, when his English voice started to feel natural.
27/n pic.twitter.com/Udg5qMQr9n— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) April 14, 2023
Like Daryoush, Diba, an engineer from Iran, avoided interacting with fellow parents in her daughter's school because she perceived herself as a "boring" interlocutor with "poor" English.
29/n pic.twitter.com/xaP0M7uKQ1— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) April 17, 2023
Loss of self-confidence was a big topic for our participants.
Elham from Iran communicated in English at work before coming to Australia. Once here, she avoided interacting in English because she didn't know what to say and how to say it.
30/n pic.twitter.com/cMNFvJZWom— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) April 18, 2023
Elizabeth from Ghana had a good start to her settlement journey: a volunteer tutor took her under their wing, and together they went shopping, sightseeing, chatted on the phone, shared meals. This gave Elizabeth the confidence to rebuild her social life in Australia.
31/n pic.twitter.com/1BupaLp8ZO— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) April 19, 2023
Cyrus from Iran struggled to find interlocutors with whom he could practice English. One of his constraints was that he believed only native speakers were desirable and worthy interlocutors.
33/nHow do you feel about non-native interlocutors when practicing a new language?
— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) April 24, 2023
Language as a pretext for racial discrimination?
When Daisy from Kenya applied for a receptionist job, she was told that the company would lose customers if they hired her because of her "accent." They suggested she apply for a backstage job that was coming up.
34/n pic.twitter.com/Mg3uvcgx3c— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) April 24, 2023
Career loss in migration is a huge problem
Danica, a university-qualified early art teacher from Russia, had to change careers because her profession does not even exist in Australia.
35/n pic.twitter.com/Wm49FBT4Ik— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) April 25, 2023
7% of the Australian workforce are migrants on temporary visas.
Domingo from the Philippines is one of them. He is employed in Australia's booming construction industry as a carpenter building prefabricated portable homes.
36/n pic.twitter.com/36ZLeMi3jM— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) April 26, 2023
Some of our participants had severely disrupted schooling. Low literacy complicated English language learning, finding work, and settling well for women like Doris from Sudan, whose life still felt on hold even 5 years after arrival in Australia.
37/n pic.twitter.com/zWiH9kQ7DG— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) April 27, 2023
How do you maintain a strong parent-child bond when you are still struggling to learn English but your child is fast losing the heritage language?
Ehsan from Iran was one of our participants who struggled with this problem, as her English relationships felt "artificial."
38/n pic.twitter.com/rmWLbttz1M— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) April 30, 2023
Eric from Sierra Leone was a 1st year law student when the civil war disrupted his life and education. Upon resettlement in Australia, he received no support to resume his education and now works as a meat packer in an abattoir.
39/n pic.twitter.com/tQQk2nNxwW— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 1, 2023
Non-recognition of overseas qualifications is the most consequential form of discrimination faced by migrants
Ernestine, a nurse from DR Congo, has not been able to re-establish her career in Australia despite a shortage of healthcare workers.
40/n pic.twitter.com/bRV0A1v5vJ— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 3, 2023
The civil war in Liberia destroyed Ruth's middle-class life. After resettlement in Australia, she worked as a cleaner in an abattoir to help support her family left behind in transit in Guinea.
41/n pic.twitter.com/NUXQjOrxmN— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 3, 2023
Middle- and upper-class backgrounds of African migrants are often erased. Samuel from Congo had a BA in Psychology and had been active in politics. In Australia, he could not reestablish his career. He undertook a certificate in Aged Care for quick workplace entry.
42/n pic.twitter.com/1qVeJgw0EK— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 5, 2023
"Learning English in the classroom is like swimming in a pool. Learning English while going about your daily life in Australia is like being thrown into a raging river." That's how Goudarz from Iran summed up the migrant language learning and settlement experience.
43/n pic.twitter.com/DbQ2SZYxU1— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 8, 2023
Iman from Iran was afraid to speak English to his daughter so that she would not pick up his "inauthentic" English with all its "deficiencies."
44/n pic.twitter.com/fqO01vlEnE— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 9, 2023
When Goran arrived in Australia as a refugee from Bosnia who had never learned any English, he started to see himself through the eyes of others. He came to believe that all people saw in him was a "stupid idiot." 😢
45/n— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 10, 2023
Migration to Australia changed many of our female participants from successful independent professionals and business women to homemakers and stay-at-home mums. One of them was Homa, a project analyst from Iran.
46/n pic.twitter.com/vxng02x5sO— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 10, 2023
Isabella from Sudan never went to school, yet passed a real-life literacy test with flying colors: she planned, financed and took a trip to USA all by herself, to spend Christmas with members of her dispersed family. 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
47/n pic.twitter.com/XctbAxYeHZ— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 12, 2023
Jaime from Chile was the victim of a racist assault on his first night out in Australia in 1976. He never went out to a pub or club or public entertainment venue for the next 30 years.
48/n pic.twitter.com/stxt0rKleM— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 15, 2023
Julie from Singapore thought that if she spoke to her kids in Aussie English, they'd open up to her more and communicate their true feelings. Her model for parent-child interaction came from reading Australian author and artist Sally Morgan's memoir "My Place."
49/n pic.twitter.com/F8Ek5b8CtT— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 16, 2023
Age at migration is a crucial factor in settlement. Abiba from Sierra Leone arrived in Australia in her late teens, went to uni, studied nursing, and found a satisfying career in a large hospital.
50/n pic.twitter.com/xz1EeK9IIH— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 17, 2023
Alexa from Spain accidentally moved into a drug house where she had to sleep in the garage when she first arrived in Australia. Escaping from that situation unscathed boosted her confidence in being able to fend for herself in a new language.
51/n pic.twitter.com/dC1Q3ifEgo— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 17, 2023
To receive a visa most participants had to take English language proficiency tests
Amin, an engineer from Iran, took IELTS classes for 3 years before he finally scored the required 6.5 on his 5th attempt.
52/n pic.twitter.com/f2k5liRxic— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 19, 2023
Some of our African participants were highly multilingual. One of them was Amina from Sierra Leone, who learned 6 languages (Temne, Krio, Klao, Kono, Madingo, Susu) as a street trader in West Africa. In Australia, all that people seemed to see in her was her poor English.
53/n pic.twitter.com/yNA6k1Ga4w— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 22, 2023
Family relationships change in migration.
Amot from Ethiopia found it difficult to accept that her husband took on his share of the housework. She felt the kitchen was no place for an African man.
54/n pic.twitter.com/hkL2Be9IEW— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 22, 2023
For Anna from Serbia, migration was an opportunity to live her ideal of traditional feminity. Back home, she had a career as an electrical engineer. In Australia, she became dependent on her husband, and fulfilled her dream of being "a woman, a wife, a mother."
55/n pic.twitter.com/VsuIx9Tf9o— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 24, 2023
For many African participants, "English" was a synonym for "formal education." Those with little formal education dared not claim proficiency. One of them was multilingual Ahmed from Sudan. Although an engaging storyteller in English, he thought his English was poor.
56/n pic.twitter.com/MCKHX8CG2B— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 24, 2023
Pre-migration, many participants had spent a lot of time learning English in school. Even so, they felt "School English" had not prepared them for using English in Australia. One of these was Cetareh from Iran, who believed English teaching in her country was low quality.
57/n pic.twitter.com/dFm6cQWii4— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 26, 2023
Charity from Sudan was the 1st woman in her family to go to school. Leaving school after Year 7, she was considered well-educated and apprenticed as a childcare worker. In Australia, she was able to upgrade to a formal childcare certificate and worked as a bilingual aide.
58/n pic.twitter.com/ANR0GPV93n— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 29, 2023
Before coming to Australia, Bijan from Iran had dreamt of a busy “social life” where he would go to parties often and “take holiday trips with Australians, and things like these.” This was far from the reality he encountered.
59/n pic.twitter.com/n6v6cB30Bb— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 29, 2023
When Oldouz from Iran first arrived in Australia, she felt like she was "deaf" and "mute."
60/n pic.twitter.com/9evwisGZan— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 31, 2023
Obi from Ethiopia was a university-educated teacher who arrived in Australia with “perfect” English. After 5 years in Australia, he was still doing odd jobs, studying, and losing hope that he would ever be able to re-establish his career.
61/n pic.twitter.com/juhfjWDHJf— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) May 31, 2023
Paulina from the Philippines coped with her homesickness by subscribing to the Filipino Channel @KapamilyaTFC.
62/n pic.twitter.com/1CcbLihMf1— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 2, 2023
The education of Philip from Sudan was cut short by the war. As a refugee in Egypt, he supported himself as a bricklayer. In Australia, he found neither casual laboring jobs nor a pathway to more stable work.
63/n pic.twitter.com/ft3SUwqKqP— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 5, 2023
Pia from Italy first came to Australia as a tourist, fell in love with the country, and ended up staying.
64/n pic.twitter.com/PfVqbsC3so— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 5, 2023
Qasem from Iran volunteered as parent helper at his daughter's school. His offer was rebuffed, and he was unsure whether he had volunteered too late or whether he was intentionally excluded.
65/n pic.twitter.com/lIrDXfTCHq— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 7, 2023
As a secondary applicant on her husband's skilled visa, Qazal from Iran had the choice to score 6.0 on IELTS before migration or prepay for 510 hours of English language tuition post-migration. She chose the latter option.
66/n pic.twitter.com/tzuEM9mWxY— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 7, 2023
The move to Australia was not the first international migration for many participants. Ramin from Iran, for example, had lived in India for many years before coming to Australia.
67/n pic.twitter.com/4lHjRpM46j— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 9, 2023
Australia's building boom throughout the 21st century has been fuelled by migration and sustained by a migrant workforce. One of them is Roberto, a civil engineer from the Philippines, who works as a plasterer for one of Australia's largest builders.
68/n pic.twitter.com/7bmPM4AFcR— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 12, 2023
Rosa from the Philippines is sustained by her Mormon faith. She takes great pride in the fact that she learned to speak American English from Mormon missionaries back in Manila. Sadly, her shift work makes church attendance difficult for her in Australia.
69/n pic.twitter.com/N0AsjK2Shg— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 12, 2023
When Rouya from Iran first arrived in Australia, she became depressed whenever she left the house because the English she heard around her bore no similarity to the English she had studied back home.
70/n pic.twitter.com/vNoyA6mGKF— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 13, 2023
"Do you have tomatoes in Africa?"
This was one of many stupid questions, Serena from Sudan was asked in Australia.
71/n pic.twitter.com/e7MEBVBMoE— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 14, 2023
Women's work becomes harder in migration.
A mother of 4 young children, Shirley from Sudan missed the support from her mother, sisters, sisters-in-law, and extended family she would have expected back home.
72/n pic.twitter.com/bYXkeh8OeA— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 16, 2023
In Australia, linguistic diversity is seen as a problem. Violet from Sudan compared this to her experience in Africa, where people just get on with it: "We were using English and other language. Acholi, and other language, like Arabic, Swahili, and Bari. Many, many of them.”
73/n pic.twitter.com/3Vt1k88GOY— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 18, 2023
Like many participants from refugee backgrounds, Vida from Sudan found that her linguistic and vocational skills were erased in Australia. The trained secretary who had spent time in Uganda and USA never got hired for a white-collar job.
74/n pic.twitter.com/O0vFKMWDHQ— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 19, 2023
Vesna from Bulgaria was a qualified and experienced hospital midwife when she came to Australia, but she was not allowed to practise midwifery because the Nursing Board did not recognise her qualifications and expertise. She eventually found work as a phlebotomist.
75/n pic.twitter.com/9HiVUv0mbE— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 20, 2023
When her qualifications were not recognized, Veronica, a teacher from Zimbabwe, switched to aged-care work in Australia.
76/n pic.twitter.com/8B4MDpzLMe— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 21, 2023
An avid traveler with broad cultural interests in theatre, opera, and books, Verena from Austria could not find friends in Australia who were willing to go beyond “the basic, you know, chit chat, small talk.”
77/n pic.twitter.com/UVdA8gr1Pz— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 22, 2023
Lonely and without a social circle in Australia, Jessie from Taiwan joined bible study classes 2-3 times a week; just for the human interaction.#ISB14
78/n pic.twitter.com/Enh2psS9YK— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 25, 2023
Jane was orphaned by the war in Sudan. Still, she felt lucky that she had escaped to Uganda rather than Egypt because the English she learned there allowed her to find her feet quickly once she was resettled in Australia.
79/n#ISB14 pic.twitter.com/NkYusjO7y7— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 26, 2023
A single mother with a newborn baby, June from Sierra Leone, had to give up on her English classes due to a lack of childcare.
80/n#ISB14 pic.twitter.com/CtGYSCOn4N— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 27, 2023
Jutta from Austria migrated to Australia in 1970 at the age of 23. By the time we met her in 2003, she had made Australia home: “I’m Australian. I like Australia. It’s my home. My children are here, so that’s my country. My most life was here. I belong here.”
81/n#ISB14 pic.twitter.com/iC0LqxP05C— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 28, 2023
Kambiz, a software developer from Iran, had lived in Ireland and UK before settling in Oz. He struggled with the Australian accent but was philosophical about linguistic diversity: "There are different Englishes, and then you come here and it’s also different."
82/n#ISB14 pic.twitter.com/6JPpmkswSm— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) June 29, 2023
Kevin came to Australia from the Philippines to wire up prefabricated homes.
83/n pic.twitter.com/R12aG40OQn— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 2, 2023
Kimia, a software engineer from Iran with extensive work experience, became a stay-at-home housewife in Australia because she couldn't find a job.
84/n pic.twitter.com/AaAi1RNaMZ— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 3, 2023
Kumiko from Japan moved to Australia with her Australian husband. Although he speaks Japanese fluently, he switched to English more and more in Oz. In English he seemed like a different person to the guy she fell in love with.
85/n pic.twitter.com/kzMpfXf3pR— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 4, 2023
Ladan from Iran was freaked out that her daughter would have to attend ESL classes in Australia. She put in great efforts to teach the 4-year-old English and was proud that her efforts paid off and her daughter never had to attend ESL classes.
86/n pic.twitter.com/CBktzqUbMh— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 5, 2023
Lewis from Liberia came to Australia as a refugee but doesn’t recognise himself in deficit representations of refugees he sees in Oz. He would like refugees’ abilities and contributions to be properly valued.
87/n pic.twitter.com/DvrP82geKL— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 6, 2023
Mamuna is a matriarch from Sierra Leone, in the mold of strong African women. In Australia, she's a respected elder, whose advice is widely sought after in her community.
88/130 pic.twitter.com/aPpYO1U8Si— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 9, 2023
Mustapha from Sudan taught himself English from books and by practicing with acquaintances during the 2 years he spent in Egypt waiting for his visa to be approved.
89/130 pic.twitter.com/gljK1NbEXl— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 10, 2023
Nahid from Iran wanted her daughter to speak Persian at home, but her daughter stopped complying from a young age. Nahid blamed her husband for this failure, as he preferred English, too.
A common struggle in bilingual families 😔
90/130 pic.twitter.com/3YWhdP2DNp— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 11, 2023
Many humanitarian entrants to Australia start their settlement journey in the AMEP, where they attend government-sponsored English language classes. Peter from Sudan is one of them. He knew Dinka and Arabic when he first arrived but no English.
91/130 pic.twitter.com/ZxvWOkD62r— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 12, 2023
Rita is a nurse from the Philippines whose 9 years of work experience in Scotland before her move to Australia made it easier for her to adapt to her new environment.
92/130 pic.twitter.com/EVE7WWyKFb— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 13, 2023
Even after a few years in Australia, Saman from Iran described a typical "Aussie kid" as someone with blue eyes who speaks "unaccented" and "correct" English.
93/130 pic.twitter.com/KsOo9ykw2x— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 16, 2023
Sarah from Sudan did not finish primary school because the war disrupted her schooling. She became a mother at a young age. Her children continued to be her priority in Australia, and she was determined to secure a better future for them.
94/130 pic.twitter.com/xbRWcZ0GCe— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 17, 2023
When Anita from Iran came to Australia, she lost her self-confidence because she could not understand what people were saying to her. Unable to find work in her field as a software developer, she switched to casual childcare.
95/130 pic.twitter.com/vdEU7YAvXO— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 18, 2023
Agatha from Georgia developed agoraphobia when she first came to Australia. She believed it had to do with not understanding the Australian accent and being unable to reestablish her professional career.
96/130 pic.twitter.com/jE4B9ncFkS— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 19, 2023
Ajara from Sudan came to Australia as a refugee. She now gives back as an aged-care nurse.
97/130 pic.twitter.com/HrXez8QVZQ— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 20, 2023
Behnaz from Iran was disappointed with the English language course she took in Australia. She wanted practical English for everyday life in the new society but found the course filled with "childish" and irrelevant projects that failed to meet her needs.
98/130 pic.twitter.com/mpL9naoR9Z— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 23, 2023
Creating full and productive employment and decent work for all is one of the @UN sustainable development goals.
Migrants are often excluded. Franklin from Sudan poignantly summed up what the lack of decent work meant for him: "Without a job, you are nothing," he said.
99/130 pic.twitter.com/80xD8Iir1C
— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 24, 2023
Language workers are hit particularly hard when forced to migrate to a new linguistic environment.
Genevieve, a journalist from DR Congo, who had worked in French, had to completely reinvent herself because a writing career in English was out of her reach.
100/130 pic.twitter.com/CCYiap0j0Y
— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 25, 2023
Gesang, a PhD student from Indonesia, enjoyed learning about Chinese politics from conversations with his flatmate. He found it ironic that he had more opportunities to learn about China than about Australia while in Sydney.
101/130 pic.twitter.com/aVni4QUZkn— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 26, 2023
Golara from Iran was livid about the pressure her school-aged children experienced in their pull-out ESL programs. She was annoyed by the lack of coordination between the regular curriculum and ESL programs, and how ESL kids missed out on class lessons.
102/130 pic.twitter.com/YtdCLl2tnV— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 27, 2023
Farah, a network engineer from Iran, felt her English was “at the right level” to start a new life in Australia when she was granted a skilled independent visa. This changed on arrival when she discovered she couldn’t communicate in English "at all."
103/130 pic.twitter.com/MCtC5nELpN— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 30, 2023
Farzad, a medical doctor from Iran, waited over 3 years before his qualifications were reaccredited in Australia.
104/130 pic.twitter.com/lg8asOumTS
— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) July 31, 2023
For many Africans, English is associated with formal education.
Fatima from Ethiopia counts Oromo, Amharic, Kiswahili, Dinka, and Arabic as her 5 languages. Although she speaks English fluently, she insists she has no English because she's not literate.
105/130 pic.twitter.com/JBBpOXHNLY
— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 1, 2023
Felicia from Sudan started to study for her childcare certificate once she had enough English to enroll in a TAFE course.
106/130 pic.twitter.com/ygpo5tMOpg
— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 2, 2023
Although Lucy from Sierra Leone had been educated through the medium of English, her settlement coordinator made her do an English language course. “They were learning these things that I’ve learnt in primary school," she scoffed, "ABC and what."
107/130 pic.twitter.com/8xzc22sTM9
— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 3, 2023
Majok from Sudan is an employment success story. With a teaching degree from Egypt, he continued teaching in Australia without too many hurdles.
109/130 pic.twitter.com/YIgx7WWbJa
— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 6, 2023
Mercy, a low-educated woman from Sudan, hoped to be a cleaner in Australia. However, without the literacy skills to get the required certificates and licences, the path even to low-skilled work was barred for her.
109/130 pic.twitter.com/bkb0znNgbE
— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 7, 2023
Bilingual parenting was a challenge for many participants. Parvin from Iran used a creative strategy to make her children speak Persian: she responded in Turkish to their English to make them feel that the language was "wrong." It didn't work …
110/130 pic.twitter.com/tFEglZ3iOV
— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 8, 2023
Sofia arrived in Australia from Colombia when she was 14 years old. An extrovert before her family's migration, she recalls being "a little afraid” of her new classmates and “very afraid” to speak with anyone.
111/130 pic.twitter.com/sZ2YkiI9aF— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 9, 2023
Soraya is a member of Iran's Turkish minority. Like many parents from bilingual backgrounds, she neither used Azeri nor Persian with her children in Australia because she felt 3 languages was too much.
112/130 pic.twitter.com/d9AWYeuXGS— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 10, 2023
Suda from Thailand worked as a delivery driver for a Thai restaurant and shared a flat with other Thai women. The disappointing result of all these arrangements was that she lived in Sydney but had “no chance to practice English.”
113/130 pic.twitter.com/qnQybeSYEM— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 13, 2023
When Sylvia from Sudan encountered a young girl wandering the streets alone at night, she did not look away. The hand she extended that night ultimately led to her fostering the 15-year-old homeless teenager. Her motivation was ubuntu – building community.
114/130 pic.twitter.com/HewhUQhlyT— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 14, 2023
Tania from Spain was denied a promotion because of her accent. Tania threatened to sue under equal opportunity and anti-discrimination legislation. She was successful: she got her promotion, a pay rise, and her supervisor was transferred to another role.
115/130 pic.twitter.com/AgntgZEpHv— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 15, 2023
New and emergent migrant communities face specific hurdles settling in Australia. They have fewer networks and less access to information. Language brokers and community interpreters like Thomas from Burundi play an important role in helping them adjust.
116/130 pic.twitter.com/kvV0tigyV0— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 16, 2023
For Timothy from Sudan engaging with a racist neighbor became a road to good employment.https://t.co/WJCcnwf4GJ
117/130— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 17, 2023
Tina from China already had two law degrees and experience as a corporate lawyer when she arrived in Australia, but she could only get work as a paralegal because her degrees were not recognized.
118/130 pic.twitter.com/HGsqEBmS76— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 20, 2023
Torre, a butcher from the Philippines, takes great pride in his knife skills, which got him hired as slicer in an Australian abattoir.
119/130 pic.twitter.com/XMQZNTPfmo— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 21, 2023
Trinh from Vietnam was 10 yrs old when she arrived in Oz, and monolingual in Vietnamese. When we first met her 10 years later, she was English-dominant and her Vietnamese was "rusty": she had difficulty following complex conversations and her accent sounded "foreign."
120/130 pic.twitter.com/b4RrDO4J2t— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 22, 2023
Nicolas, who had fled Communist Poland in the 1970s, was deeply affected by the suicide of a fellow exile, the film director Aleksander Ford. Talking about his death allowed him to reflect on his own loss through the feelings he attributed to Ford.
121/130 pic.twitter.com/rR6klTIa1c— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 23, 2023
Mina from Iran implements a strict Persian-Only language policy in her family to ensure her children remain fluent in the language.
122/130 pic.twitter.com/TsDmdYSX4I— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 24, 2023
Milena from the Czech Republic was often complimented on her English and within 2-3 years of her arrival was passing as a "real Aussie." That she was blond and blue-eyed probably helped …
123/130 pic.twitter.com/pn4TVciahR— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 27, 2023
Being part of validating conversations is incredibly important for newcomers.
Marlene from Germany was "really nervous when we’re sitting with a new group of young people our age.” Her confidence increased with each successful conversation.
124/130 pic.twitter.com/JdLBSCsAtP— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 28, 2023
Mark, a Sudanese community elder, is concerned that mainstream monolingual ESL teaching is failing language learners, particularly women from low education backgrounds. He wants bilingual language teaching to be adopted instead.
125/130 pic.twitter.com/ypgVm9XAwc— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) August 29, 2023
Loshrab from Iran came to Australia with her 4-year-old daughter. The little girl was 10 by the time Loshrab's husband was granted a visa, too, and the family could be reunited.
126/130 pic.twitter.com/FR0oCAYsEW— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) September 4, 2023
TV can be a great resource for language learners
Lou from China passionately watched Australian shows like "Neighbours" and "Home and Away" to improve his English.
127/130 pic.twitter.com/qEeUKgnYEl— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) September 4, 2023
Home is complicated for migrants
Laura from Italy likes to express her dual identity by designing Italian-Australian-themed cakes.
128/130 pic.twitter.com/gQJQbgDOb2— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) September 4, 2023
Venus, an executive assistant from Liberia, was dismayed to discover that in Australia she was seen as someone without English, without qualifications and without professional experience.
128/130— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) September 4, 2023
When Azim from Pakistan first came to Australia as an 18-year-old, he was so homesick that he stopped eating and developed selective mutism.
129/130 pic.twitter.com/7a5aiLQb5X— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) September 4, 2023
When Abenet from Ethiopia first came to Australia, he had 3 priorities:
1: Find a house close to public transport
2: Find a good school for his children nearby
3: Join a churchThis way, he got himself and his family off to a good start in their new life 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
130/130 pic.twitter.com/yw58ySSqJ2— Language on the Move (@Lg_on_the_Move) September 5, 2023
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