This thesis investigated the literacy practices of a group of Somali refugee women participating in Canada’s federally‐funded ESL program LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada). Assuming that many Somali women arrive in Canada with limited experience with print literacy, and so encounter novel challenges in their settlement and learning experiences, I interviewed 4 Somali women about their uses and perceptions of the value of literacy in their lives and their experiences of learning to read and write in Canada. A cross‐case analysis revealed how social forces constrain and enable the women’s literacy practices, shaping both how they access and use literacy, as well as the ways in which they understand and value literacy. Implications are outlined for ESL educators, researchers and policy makers.

This thesis investigated the literacy practices of a group of Somali refugee women participating in Canada’s federally‐funded ESL program LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada). Assuming that many Somali women arrive in Canada with limited experience with print literacy, and so encounter novel challenges in their settlement and learning experiences, I interviewed 4 Somali women about their uses and perceptions of the value of literacy in their lives and their experiences of learning to read and write in Canada. A cross‐case analysis revealed how social forces constrain and enable the women’s literacy practices, shaping both how they access and use literacy, as well as the ways in which they understand and value literacy. Implications are outlined for ESL educators, researchers and policy makers.

This thesis documents the process of developing and evaluating a curriculum written for adult literacy students transitioning from their current literacy goals to academic and occupational pursuits. The curriculum, titled the Basic College Skills Transition Curriculum (BCS Transition Curriculum), was written for students at Project Read, a non-profit adult literacy program located at the Provo Library in Provo, Utah. The model used to design this curriculum is a variation on the ADDIE model (analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation), including the reiterative steps of research and evaluation. The lesson plans and materials in the BCS Transition Curriculum include the topics of U.S. History Vocabulary, Textbook Reading Skills, Lecture Note-Taking Skills, Study Organization Skills, Test-Taking Skills, Computer Skills, and Time-Management Skills. The curriculum is content-based, with each skill being taught through the content subject of U.S. History. This allows vocabulary to be recycled through each lesson plan and creates more opportunities for vocabulary acquisition. This also ties the curriculum together in an integrated experience that simulates an academic course in U.S. History. After the lesson plans were developed, tutors and students used the lesson plans and participated in an evaluation of the curriculum. Their feedback gave direction for revisions and provided ideas for the future development of this curriculum. Some lessons learned during this project about curriculum design include the importance of 1) including the curriculum designer's needs in the needs assessment; 2) clearly communicating needs and constraints to collaborators and stakeholders; 3) planning for problems and accepting limitations in the product; and 4) collaborating with others.