Task-based language learning and the daily-life language challenges of older Chinese migrants

This article explores the relationship between place and the language challenges experienced by older Chinese migrants in Auckland with low English proficiency while undertaking daily-life errands. The ability to independently fulfil daily-life needs outside the home is a key factor that influences wellbeing and facilitates the social inclusion of older migrants. Informed by the sociocognitive perspective of everyday contexts as presenting place-based learning opportunities throughout the lifespan, we undertook 57 go-alongs with 18 participants to examine how they perform daily-life tasks at different venues (e.g. supermarkets). Through a thematic analysis of fieldnotes, we identified venues where challenges occur, and the nature of these communicative challenges. The construct of task-based language use proved to be a useful analytical tool to understand the complexity of language skills needed for daily-life errands. Whilst our understanding of task complexity largely aligns with previous findings in classroom-based contexts, context-related conditions (e.g. perceived time pressure, environmental clues) affecting the complexity were more varied, and we demonstrate how particular conditions impacted on participants’ ability to undertake specific tasks. We outline implications for teaching curricula that aims to prepare older migrants for out-of-class task- based language learning, and we advocate for greater visibility of bilingual employees in daily-life venues.