In this article, we present a research study with a group of newcomer and refugee learners who have resettled in the Niagara region in Canada to create new lives. Over the course of four months, we came to know the stories of fifteen adult language learners, and we witnessed their steady induction, acceptance and enjoyment of multimodal activities. Combining the notions of translanguaging and affective flows with multimodal assessment, we draw out artifactual and interview data to illuminate ways of reframing assessment making it more meaningful and agentive. We push for broader perspectives of language education and a reconceptualization of ways to teach and assess English language learners.