From marginalization to inclusion: Refugee learners' struggles with English dominance and future aspirations

The widely held and pervasive ideology that English as the global dominant language is “the key” to successful “integration” of nondominant communities has far-reaching implications on various social, cultural, and educational dimensions. This ideology often perpetuates the notion that proficiency in English is essential for social mobility, access to economic opportunities, and participation in global markets, reinforcing the hegemonic legacies of English over Indigenous and minoritized languages and practices. This study critically examines the intersecting experiences of language, race, and ethnicity of six multilingual (refugee) learners in Australia. Having fled from a small ethnic group in northern Iraq (Assyrians), these adult learners face significant challenges in adapting to a predominantly monolingual, English-speaking environment with perceived limited English language resources for effective inclusion into the mainstream community. Framed through the lenses of colonialingualism and transraciolinguistics, the study critically unpacks the lived linguistic and racial(ized) experiences of multilingual learners and the fluid ways in which they challenge and resist dominative and assimilative forces associated with the colonial legacies of English as the dominant language. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews, learners were asked questions that addressed two key dimensions: (1) personal experiences, challenges, and opportunities in Australia and (2) future personal, educational, and professional aspirations in Australia. Findings from the analysis of interview data revealed that while learners feel disadvantaged, racialized, and disconnected from the wider English-dominant community, their persistent desire to advance their English language and semiotic resources is linked to their aspirations for their children and future generations. Specifically, they expressed a strong desire for their children not to experience the same feelings of marginalization and racialization that they have encountered. Instead, they envision a future where their children are valued citizens in society, capable of navigating and succeeding within the dominant English-speaking context while also maintaining and valuing their own cultural and linguistic identities.