Becoming a transnational mother: Understanding Chinese study mothers’ English language learning experiences in Australia

In recent decades, an increasing number of Chinese parents as caregivers have accompanied their children to study in Australian primary and secondary schools, while the other parent of the family remains in China to provide financial support. These accompanying parents are generally called ‘study parents’. My study investigates six Chinese women’s transnational experiences while living in Australia as study mothers. I use a qualitative case study method, with individual semi-structured interviews, collaborative dialogue groups, and the participants’ photographs to generate data. This study raises important questions for educators in migrant adult English language learning programs about better understanding second language learning needs of study mothers and their background contexts.