In the context of multicultural Australia, bilingual education has generally become a viable educational option for all school age students, but there is less interest in developing bilingual skills in adults with a non-English speaking background (NESB). This paper arises out of a 1991 research study on "The Literacy Needs of NESB Women." One focus of the paper is to identify the position on adult biliteracy taken by key parties in the adult literacy and basic education field, including the industry training board, private employers, non-government organizations, and the government. A second focus is to explore the arguments in favor of developing the biliteracy of NESB adults and of promoting positive attitudes towards biliteracy among those directly concerned, such as students, teachers, administrators, and politicians. Strategies for implementing literacy programs for adults are discussed. It is concluded that biliteracy has not attained a high profile and that first- and second-language literacy are interrelated dimensions of literacy for Australia's NESB population. Contains 44 references. (LB)