Should I Stay or Should I Go? Investigating Cambodian Women’S Participation and Investment in Adult ESL Programs

Abstract

Drawing on the work of Norton Peirce, the author argues that traditional views of adult motivation and participation are limited because they do not address the complex relationships among adult learners’ identities, the social contexts of their daily lives, the classroom context, and investment in learning English. By focusing on the lived experiences of four Cambodian women, this research suggests the value of investigating the variety and commonality of adult experience within a single ethnolinguistic group. The findings go beyond social identity to address issues of cultural identity relevant to understanding participation in adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs. This analysis shows how shifting identities of these women at home and as current or future workers, and the ways these identities are connected to the work of the classroom, have much to do with their investment in participating in particular adult ESL programs.