Career choices: Linguistic and educational socialization of Sudanese-background high-school students in Australia

► Provides insights into motivations and agency in Sudanese students’ career choices. ► Reports Sudanese students’ voices as testimony to their resilience to life changes. ► Examines the barriers faced by Sudanese students in Australian secondary schooling. ► Socio-cultural and language barriers impact on Sudanese students’ educational goals. ► Motivation to help their families in back Sudan influenced students’ career choices. This research investigated the linguistic and educational socialization of Sudanese refugee-background youth in Australia. The study focussed on exploring Sudanese-background secondary school students’ career aspirations, motivations and obstacles. The research used a mixed-method approach including a survey conducted with students studying in six regional Australian high-schools and three focus group discussions held in two schools. The research findings provide profound insights into motivation and agency in their career choices. The research also explored the tensions between high levels of educational aspirations and the linguistic, psychological, racial and social barriers that Sudanese-background learners face in their socialization process in Australia. Some of the barriers include racism, interrupted schooling, and low levels of English literacy. Their voices about their career choices, on the other hand, are testimony of their resilience and their motivation to help others in Australia and in Sudan.