• myGriffith
    • Staff portal
    • Contact Us⌄
      • Future student enquiries 1800 677 728
      • Current student enquiries 1800 154 055
      • International enquiries +61 7 3735 6425
      • General enquiries 07 3735 7111
      • Online enquiries
      • Staff phonebook
    View Item 
    •   Home
    • Griffith Theses
    • Theses - Higher Degree by Research
    • View Item
    • Home
    • Griffith Theses
    • Theses - Higher Degree by Research
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Browse

  • All of Griffith Research Online
    • Communities & Collections
    • Authors
    • By Issue Date
    • Titles
  • This Collection
    • Authors
    • By Issue Date
    • Titles
  • Statistics

  • Most Popular Items
  • Statistics by Country
  • Most Popular Authors
  • Support

  • Contact us
  • FAQs
  • Admin login

  • Login
  • Male Muslim Refugee Experiences of English Language Training Programmes and Links to Employment in Australia

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    Hsieh_2016_01Thesis.pdf (2.289Mb)
    Author(s)
    Hsieh, Teresa
    Primary Supervisor
    Rowan, Leonie
    Other Supervisors
    Harte, Elizabeth
    Wilkinson, Jade
    Year published
    2016
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    Since the modern Refugee and Humanitarian Programme began in 1977, around 14,000 refugees have been granted residency in Australia every year, with Muslim communities now representing more than 50 per cent of the intake. Most of these refugees entering Australia speak little, if any, English, have little or no education in their first language, and most do not possess employment skills or qualifications valued in the Australian workplace. The Federal Government thus offers them English language training within the Adult Migrant English Programme (AMEP) and the Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) programme. These ...
    View more >
    Since the modern Refugee and Humanitarian Programme began in 1977, around 14,000 refugees have been granted residency in Australia every year, with Muslim communities now representing more than 50 per cent of the intake. Most of these refugees entering Australia speak little, if any, English, have little or no education in their first language, and most do not possess employment skills or qualifications valued in the Australian workplace. The Federal Government thus offers them English language training within the Adult Migrant English Programme (AMEP) and the Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) programme. These programmes aim to provide refugee migrants with enough English proficiency to gain employment in Australia, and to successfully participate socially and economically in Australian society. However, there has been only limited research specifically centred on these Federal English training programmes. In particular, there have been no in-depth studies centred on the opinions of the actual refugee clients attending these programmes. The research in this thesis thus investigates the perspectives of a group of eight male Muslim refugees on the effectiveness of the Federal English Language Training Programmes in facilitating their settlement and employment in Australia. Male Muslim refugees were chosen as participants as they represent a particularly disadvantaged, but under-researched, minority social group in Australian society. A qualitative research design and methodology was adopted for this research, framed within a socio-critical (transformative) research paradigm. Data was collected using in-depth, semi- structured interviews, and then analysed and described using the theoretical framework of Pierre Bourdieu’s conceptual tools of field, capital and habitus. The findings from this research suggest that there may be a number of key problems with the language training programmes. Most of the refugees in the study failed to find consistent employment, and many entered a repetitive cycle of intermittent attendance at the English training programmes. Additionally, many of the participants reached only a basic proficiency in oral English communication, making little or no progress in their literacy acquisition, and thus they were generally unable to complete any vocational qualifications.
    View less >
    Thesis Type
    Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
    Degree Program
    Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
    School
    School of Education and Professional Studies
    DOI
    https://doi.org/10.25904/1912/2698
    Copyright Statement
    The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise.
    Item Access Status
    Public
    Subject
    Muslims in Australia
    English as a second language, Muslim students
    Adult Migrant English Programme (AMEP)
    Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) programme
    Refugees, Australia
    Publication URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10072/365256
    Collection
    • Theses - Higher Degree by Research

    Footer

    Disclaimer

    • Privacy policy
    • Copyright matters
    • CRICOS Provider - 00233E

    Tagline

    • Gold Coast
    • Logan
    • Brisbane - Queensland, Australia
    First Peoples of Australia
    • Aboriginal
    • Torres Strait Islander