Empowering adult migrants through digital technology: language learning, identity, and career pathways

Abstract This paper examines how digital technology practices in adult education contribute to processes of empowerment and exclusion for migrants and refugees when viewed through an intersectional lens. Drawing on two case studies from Germany and the United States, the analysis explores how factors such as migration status, gender, age, and educational background shape participation in digitally mediated learning. In Germany, the integration of virtual reality into literacy and language courses opened new opportunities for workplace-related language practice but also revealed challenges linked to accessibility, technical barriers, and institutional discourses. In the United States, a technology-supported curriculum combining English instruction with civic education provided valuable learning opportunities, while irregular attendance and varying digital skills limited participation for some groups. The findings highlight both the potential of digital tools to strengthen participation and the risk of reinforcing existing inequalities when learners’ diverse needs and institutional conditions are not sufficiently considered. By bringing together perspectives on intersectionality, digital divides, and institutional practices, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of how adult education can function both as a site of recognition and as a space where exclusionary dynamics persist. The paper concludes with reflections on implications for practice and future research.