The pedagogical potential of arts-based approaches in second language education for adults

As increasing mobility and linguistic diversity challenge traditional language teaching, there is a growing need for pedagogies that also promote agency and participation in adult education. The aim of this article is to contribute knowledge of teachers’ and students’ experiences of arts-based and multiliteracies-informed approaches, illustrated by music and drama, to second language education for adult migrant students. A comparative case study method was used, in which tracing a phenomenon across different settings allows for a broader and less bounded understanding of both the phenomenon and its contexts. An example from Sweden draws on a research and development project involving teacher workshops on integrating music into Swedish for Immigrants (SFI), with data from recorded workshop sessions. An example from Iceland is based on a qualitative study of a drama club for Ukrainian refugees, using dyadic and group interviews. The joint analysis uses a multiliteracies framework and focuses on teachers’ and adult migrant students’ experiences, tracing learner agency, engagement, and social justice-oriented participation in second language education across the two national and educational settings. The findings show that the arts-based approaches in their respective contexts are perceived as valuable support for language learning as well as agency, engagement, and social justice-oriented participation, from both a teacher and student perspective. The implementation of the approaches is shaped by institutional conditions, teacher preparedness, and learner diversity, with some resistance linked to, for instance, learners' perceptions of being infantilised. The study concludes that arts-based approaches offer significant pedagogical potential for second language education but require contextual adaptation and teacher support. The conclusions contribute to comparative and international research on second language education by providing cross-national insights into inclusive, innovative pedagogies for adult migrants.