“It's just the nature of the beast”: Re-imagining the literacies of schooling in adult ESL education

With a view of standardized testing as a situated local practice that serves “global” agendas, I examine the specific ways that this bureaucratic mechanism receives, sorts, arranges and classifies adult learners of English; inspires certain pedagogical practices; and fosters identities desired by the new global economy. Relying on data gathered through participant observation in an adult ESL program and interviews with students, teachers and administrators, this study raises questions about how we might re-conceptualize theories of language learning, language teaching, and literacy in local communities across the developed world, particularly when economic conditions are driven by rapid technological advancements, the continued movement of goods and people across borders, and growing distinctions between the rich and poor.