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Purpose – The study aims to assess the effect of English and French language literacy on the welfare of Ghanaian women in trade. Also, this study analyses the geographical variations of such effects from rural to urban areas. Design/methodology/approach – Using the latest living standards survey data, the standard two-stage least squares instrumental variable approach was used to estimate the causal effects. Findings – The results show that Ghanaian women in trade who are both English and French literate or only English literate are able to improve their welfare significantly relative to their fellows who are illiterate in both English and French or only English, whilst those who are solely French literate do not experience any significant improvement in welfare from trade compared with their counterparts. From the heterogeneous analysis, the findings indicate that the effect is significantly concentrated amongst rural traders but insignificant amongst urban traders. Practical implications – The findings of this study inform government and policymakers to consider the effectiveness of the free senior high school (SHS) education policy in improving English and French language literacy and the welfare of women in Ghana. It also informs educational institutions on the importance of adult education in English and French, especially amongst women. Originality/value – The study quantitatively estimates the effect of English and French language literacy on the welfare of Ghanaian women in trade by employing an instrumental variable approach to assess the causal effect. Uniquely, the study finds that language literacy is a significant tool in improving the welfare of rural women engaged in trade in Ghana.

The present study explores the features of English language literacy among 12 famous English language educators since the opening-up policy in China, using the narrative research approach. The purpose of this paper is to examine the characteristics of English language literacy among some famous educators in China and the influencing factors in the process of their formations of English language literacy through the analysis of the narrative texts of some foreign language educators. The findings showed that English language literacy among these famous educators is fundamental, developmental, and comprehensive. In addition, it has been found that the formation of their English language literacy is related to social, teacher, and personal factors. This study will be insightful for the cultivation of English language literacy in curriculum reform, teaching practice, and evaluation. Moreover, it will be helpful for the construction of cultivating talents based on the English language literacy, the consummation of the research of English language literacy, and the profound fusion of the talent cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article centres on the narrative of Thuli, a 62-year-old black South African domestic worker taking English language literacy classes outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. For Thuli, English literacy is of vital importance because, as she claims, “if you don’t have English, you’re just as good as a dead person”. Drawing primarily on the methodology of narrative inquiry, this article employs human narratives to expose the links between individual, social and political histories. Specifically, it centres on the life narratives of Thuli and the ways in which her stories are integrated into the complex history of language learning and adult education within South Africa. Utilising these coexisting histories and HERstories, the author of this article seeks to understand the multiple forces that impact a learner such as Thuli to become literate in English. By highlighting Thuli’s narrative as well as demonstrating the roles that both the author as the researcher and Thuli as the narrator play in the creation of her narrative, the author attempts to exhibit the power of the narrative in further understanding nuances of language, power and identity. Moreover, the author ventures to expose the ways in which the links between these concepts continue to affect adult learners in postcolonial South African adult basic education (ABE) and language learning. Finally, the author links Thuli’s experience to two of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely Quality education (SDG4) and Gender equality (SDG5). In addition, the author attempts to reveal how the links between both goals are missing in policy documents. Using this narrative as an example of the complexity of English within South African ABE, what becomes apparent are the ways in which the desire to learn English is both individually nuanced and laden with historically (re)produced ideologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The overall goal of this study was to explore internationally educated nurses’ perceptions of the English language and nursing communication skill requirements in a Canadian bridging education program. Background: The increased global mobility of nurses creates a need to address the educational needs of migrating nurses. A large percentage of these nurses require additional language and professional education. New research is needed that would represent an in ‐ depth analysis of their educational experiences associated with learning academic English and Canadian nursing communication. Introduction: Developing proficiency with a new language has been documented as posing challenges for new immigrants. Since language proficiency is a key requirement of Canadian nursing regulatory bodies, previously unrecognized barriers such as attitudes and beliefs about required English language and nursing communication competency which may hinder their ability to meet local practice standards need to be explored. Method: Using a grounded theory study design, narratives from 22 participants from the Philippines, Nigeria and Europe enrolled in bridging education were collected and analysed. Results: The participants identified the incongruence in professional norms between Canada and their home country as a major challenge. The major themes identified included cultural dissonance, academic literacy challenges and skepticism regarding unexpected communication competency requirements. Discussion: The participants possessed varying degrees of comprehension and acceptance of new educational and professional regulatory requirements. A certain degree of culture shock, which may be associated with frustration and disillusionment, is a typical and anticipated aspect of the immigration process. Their perceptions need to be recognized and accommodated when assisting internationally educated nurses to integrate into the Canadian practice culture. Limitations of the study: Any generalizations to other host countries need to be made cautiously. Conclusion and implications for nursing policy: Clear communication from regulators about English language and nursing communication requirements during the pre ‐ arrival period is recommended. If bridging education is required, these programs need to be designed to address English language competency and nursing communication skills of non ‐ native English speakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper investigates English language literacy practices among teenagers, focusing initially on three young Singaporean students who are struggling to do well in English. By employing a conceptual framework that builds on a recent treatment of style as identity construction and drawing on interview data that recount the students’ practices of English literacy, we show how adolescent literacy seen as style is deeply influenced by, among other factors, the anticipated reactions of peers, and how these practices impact on language education. The latter part of our paper compares the experiences of our three students with those of a fourth, one who is much more confident and comfortable with his level of English language proficiency (adolescents, identity, language education, literacy, style, teenagers). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]