ABSTRACT
In Australia, English language tuition is provided to new adult immigrants under the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP), funded through the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA). When this study was undertaken, between 1994 and 1998, the AMEP was delivered by an Adult Migrant English Service (AMES) in each state in Australia. Between the establishment of the AMEP in 1949 and this study, many different teaching methods had been used by AMEP teachers. Most commonly, teachers had employed a needs-based approach, largely based in communicative language teaching. Each teacher examined the needs of each group of students and designed a syllabus addressing those needs.
