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Complicating IssuesESL issues affect education and employment opportunitiesAlthough the total number of participants in this study who
speak English as a second language is small (5 of 84), the ESL population is a
growing one in many parts of the state and it raises unique issues for adult
education providers. Language
clearly affects both employment and educational opportunities and aspirations.
All the non-English speaking respondents in this study were Hispanic.
Census data indicates that this is the largest and fastest growing
minority in the state. While many
public schools and adult education programs are responding to the needs of
non-English speaking clients, in some areas the response has been less than
adequate. For example, few of the
adult education providers contacted across the state indicated that they
routinely provide ESL services. In
many cases, ESL programs are provided through local churches (this is how the
ESL participants in the present study were recruited) and, occasionally, through
employers who hire significant numbers of non-English speaking employees.
Oftentimes, local adult education programs do not have staff members who
are trained to teach ESL classes and lack the funding necessary to hire or train
additional teachers.
This study indicates the need for adding ESL services and information
about these services to extant adult education programs.
For example, none of the non-English speaking participants in this study
were aware that it was possible for them to take the GED exam in Spanish. In fact, most were unaware of the adult education programs
available in their community. They
had learned about the English classes they attended at the local church by word
of mouth and through church outreach programs.
The limited information this study provided about ESL clients indicates
that this is an area that requires further attention. The needs of ESL clients go beyond language issues and
include cultural factors as well. While
ESL clients demonstrate many of the same needs as other adult learners, they
face additional language-related and cultural adjustment issues that further
complicate their educational decision-making.
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