Results of a survey of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) in Auckland, New Zealand, in light of the pervasive restructuring of society and education in the last 15 years, suggest that the lives of immigrants are difficult and precarious. Many realize that their previous training and experience are unsuitable for their chosen occupations, and their main contact with English is largely limited to ESL classes rather than the English environment around them. (Author/VWL)