Motivations of Refugee-Background Adults in Enrolling in English Language Classes in the United States

Autor/in	Kisiara, Otieno
Titel	Motivations of Refugee-Background Adults in Enrolling in English Language Classes in the United States
Quelle	In: Adult Learning, 32 (2021) 3, S.115-124 (10 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Kisiara, Otieno)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1045-1595
DOI	10.1177/1045159520969859
Schlagwörter	Refugees; Adult Education; English (Second Language); Second Language Instruction; Student Motivation; Employment Qualifications; Access to Health Care; Privacy; Self Advocacy; Citizenship; Family Role; Cooperative Learning; Language Proficiency + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Flüchtling; Adult; Adults; Education; Adult basic education; Adult training; Erwachsenenbildung; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Fremdsprachenunterricht; Schulische Motivation; Employment qualification; Vocational qualification; Vocational qualifications; Berufliche Qualifikation; Privatsphäre; Selbstbehauptung; Staatsbürgerschaft; Kooperatives Lernen; Language skill; Language skills; Sprachkompetenz
Abstract	This study examines the motivations of refugee-background adults in participating in English language classes in the United States. Five focus group discussions were held with refugee-background adults with no or very limited English proficiency who were enrolled in an English language program in an urban area in the Northeastern region of the United States. The study participants had been resettled in the United States for between 10 months and 4 years at the time of study and were of different nationalities, including Somalia, Yemen, Myanmar, Cuba, and Sudan. While agencies and organizations funding and running these English programs have generally focused on job readiness English language skills in their curriculums, this study found that refugees had a wide range of motivations for learning English. In addition to better paying jobs, refugees were also interested in learning English to better navigate the health care system and safeguard their privacy, become self-reliant and avoid the humiliation of public assistance, enable self-advocacy in various settings, pass the United States citizenship test, and to provide English language support for family and neighbors. Based on these findings, the study recommends that these language programs intensify collaborative learning activities that invite and incorporate the experiences, perspectives, and expectations of refugee participants in the design, execution, and assessment of these programs. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01