Context is a key factor in designing and delivering adult learning programmes, and in multilingual environments the choice of language plays a decisive role. Four programmes, two in Asia (Bhutan Myanmar) and two in Africa (Ghana and Uganda), which focus on learning for development, integrate language considerations in different ways, related both to the broader socio-political contest and to the purposes and assumptions of the programmers themselves. Both the functional and the symbolic roles affect the choice of language, and its impact, and must be factored into the design and implementation of adult learning programmes.