Literacy is widely acknowledged as a necessary 21st-century skill, particularly for adult learners. However, continued low academic achievement among adult basic literacy learners remains a global concern. This study aimed to address the challenge of limited application of literacy in daily life among adult learners by examining the effectiveness of a social practice approach (SPA) in basic literacy programmes. Two adult literacy centres in a metropolitan city in Pakistan were selected for a four-month literacy intervention, with experimental and control groups (each with 35 female learners). The mixed-methods research design included a pre- and post-test worksheet based on social context and everyday life tasks, followed by a literacy intervention for the experimental group and traditional instruction for the control group, and concluding with semi-structured interviews with 10 learners from the experimental group to gain deeper insights. Quantitative data were analysed using independent sample t-tests, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Results indicated significant improvements in knowledge, comprehension and application among the experimental group compared to the control group. Learners in the experimental group attributed their enhanced academic achievement to everyday life-related, interactive, engaging literacy activities and consistent practice of learned skills both in the classroom and in daily life. Based on their findings, the authors recommend conducting a needs assessment to align literacy content with identified social needs; providing context-based training for teachers, especially in lesson planning; allocating adequate resources; providing multiple literacy skills under one roof; and implementing feedback mechanisms for continuous improvement in adult basic literacy programmes.