Research in the field of adult ESOL internationally is both spasmodic and fragmentary. The papers in this special issue therefore constitute a major contribution to the field by providing new insights into ESOL research from the perspective of current pedagogical practices in the British context. In this paper, I provide a response to this research from the Australasian perspective, focusing in particular on comparative work conducted in Australia, but also referring briefly to the New Zealand context. I offer comparisons and reflections from a number of perspectives including policy, research and curriculum developments that continue to shape practice in the respective pedagogical environments of Britain and Australasia. In so doing, I also make reference to specific issues raised by individual writers of the papers.