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Welcoming New American Seniors: Welcoming New American Seniors: Learning the Language and Culture Learning the Language and Culture
of the Workplaceof the WorkplaceSCSEP ConferenceSCSEP Conference
Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia, PA July 14, 2005July 14, 2005
Presented byPresented by
Miriam Burt Miriam Burt Center for Applied Linguistics Center for Applied Linguistics
Laura Chenven Laura Chenven Senior Service America, Inc. Senior Service America, Inc.
Christine Takada Christine Takada National Asian Pacific Center on AgingNational Asian Pacific Center on Aging
Directions: Select the letter that best completes or responds to each item. When you finish, discuss your answers with someone sitting near you.
1. Research on language learners shows that it take the following length of time for an adult to become proficient in English:
a. 3-5 years
b. 5-8 years
c. 1-3 yearsd. it is difficult to predict the time adults need,
because of many factors
2. Which of the following factors may influence the development of oral proficiency and literacy development in adults learning English?
a. ageb. first or native language literacy, educational
levelc. attitude towards learning the languaged. all of the above
3. If the workers’ native language uses the Roman alphabet (like Spanish), they…
a. will have little trouble reading and pronouncing English, because the alphabet is the same.b. will need practice in English sound-symbol correspondence.c. may have an easier time learning to read English that those whose native language does not use the Roman alphabet.d. both b & c.
4. Which of the following factors may have an impact on communication between immigrant elders and native speakers at the workplace?
a. eye contact, gestures, physical distance between speakers b. value placed on seniority, previous workplace experience, male and female rolesc. religious background, health issues, views about time, expectations about workplace behaviord. all of the above
5. With respect to language skills needed at the workplace…
a. there are no commonalities among jobs.
b. all workers need to be able to ask for, give, and follow directions.
c. all workers need to be able to indicate lack of comprehension and ask for help.
d. both b & c are true.
6. To be able to speak English well, immigrant elders must..
a. always speak English, everywhere, at all times on the job and at home with family members.
b. be corrected immediately whenever they make a mistake in English.
c. both b & c
d. none of the above
7. To help immigrant elders on the job, one must…
a. always speak loudly to them and repeat verbatim everything that one says, until they understand.
b. ask them if they understand.
c. find ways to let them demonstrate that they understand.
d. both a & b
Change is difficult for everyoneChange is difficult for everyone
ImmigrantsImmigrants
Native born workersNative born workers
ManagersManagers
Program staffProgram staff
Cultural considerationsCultural considerations
Age related rolesAge related roles
Gender rolesGender roles
Formal and informal ways of addressing peopleFormal and informal ways of addressing people
TimeTime
Language issues that are a challenge in the Language issues that are a challenge in the workplace workplace
Slower pace of language learning for seniorsSlower pace of language learning for seniors
LiteracyLiteracy
EyesightEyesight
Formal and informal languageFormal and informal language
Gender and age related language Gender and age related language
Training and Information to Promote SuccessTraining and Information to Promote Success(TIPS)(TIPS)
Understanding Language and LiteracyUnderstanding Language and Literacy
Promoting Good Workplace PracticesPromoting Good Workplace Practices
Promoting Effective Communication (oral and Promoting Effective Communication (oral and written)written)
Promoting Cultural UnderstandingPromoting Cultural Understanding
Help is on the wayHelp is on the way
Hands on approaches to trainingHands on approaches to training
BiBi--lingual stafflingual staff
Cultural competency as an opportunity not a Cultural competency as an opportunity not a burdenburden
Workplace, contextualized language instructionWorkplace, contextualized language instruction
Promoting Communicative ActivitiesPromoting Communicative ActivitiesIn servicesIn services
Team building activitiesTeam building activities
Ice breakersIce breakers
What is your experience?What is your experience?
Foreign born populationForeign born population
28.4 million28.4 million10.4% of total U.S population10.4% of total U.S population20% are 55 and older20% are 55 and older13.8% (65 and older) live in poverty13.8% (65 and older) live in povertyLess than 50% (65 and older) have a high Less than 50% (65 and older) have a high school diplomaschool diplomaMore than 11 million households are considered More than 11 million households are considered linguistically isolatedlinguistically isolated
(Welcoming New Seniors / 2000 Census) (Welcoming New Seniors / 2000 Census)
States with historically high immigrant / refugee concentrationsStates with historically high immigrant / refugee concentrations
0
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
3,000,000
CA NY TX IL NJ FL
(Census 1990)(Census 1990)
States with 135% States with 135% -- 274% increase in 274% increase in
foreign born populationforeign born population
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
GA NC AZ CO NV TN UT KY NE AR
(Census 2000)
Asian and Pacific Islander (API) population in these states
NAPCA participants in 2004NAPCA participants in 2004Project siteProject site % LEP% LEP
New York CityNew York City 98.5898.58
San FranciscoSan Francisco 90.9890.98
BostonBoston 89.1689.16
Orange CountyOrange County 84.8584.85
SeattleSeattle 84.8284.82
ChicagoChicago 83.8583.85
HoustonHouston 66.6766.67
Los AngelesLos Angeles 63.1863.18
Fairfax, VAFairfax, VA 60.0060.00
PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia 54.9354.93
API Ethnicities served in 2004API Ethnicities served in 20041.1. ChineseChinese2.2. KoreanKorean3.3. VietnameseVietnamese4.4. FilipinoFilipino5.5. SamoanSamoan6.6. IndianIndian7.7. CambodianCambodian8.8. ThaiThai9.9. JapaneseJapanese10.10. LaotianLaotian11.11. BurmeseBurmese12.12. IndonesianIndonesian13.13. BangladeshiBangladeshi14.14. PakistaniPakistani
Cultural ValuesCultural Values
Respect for EldersRespect for EldersHierarchyHierarchyObedienceObedience
Family structureFamily structureExtended familyExtended familyTraditional gender rolesTraditional gender roles
HarmonyHarmonyCollective unit over the individualCollective unit over the individualConformity versus selfConformity versus self--expressionexpressionIndirectness / Modesty / PolitenessIndirectness / Modesty / Politeness
Education Education PriorityPriority
TipsTips
Respect each individual
Don’t assume
Be sensitive to cultural differences
Remember that “not all differences are cultural”
Contacts Contacts Laura ChenvenLaura Chenven
Senior Service America, Inc.Senior Service America, Inc.8403 Colesville Road, Suite12008403 Colesville Road, Suite1200
Silver Spring, MD 20910Silver Spring, MD 20910--33143314(301) 578(301) 578--8824 (phone)8824 (phone)
(301) 578(301) 578--8947 (fax)8947 (fax)lchenven@[email protected]
Miriam BurtMiriam BurtCenter for Applied LinguisticsCenter for Applied Linguistics
4646 40th Street, NW4646 40th Street, NWWashington, DC 20016Washington, DC 20016(202) 362(202) 362--0700 (phone)0700 (phone)
(202) 363(202) 363--7204 (fax)7204 (fax)[email protected]@cal.org i.org
Christine TakadaChristine TakadaSCSEP National Director SCSEP National Director
National Asian Pacific Center on AgingNational Asian Pacific Center on Aging1511 Third Avenue, Suite #9141511 Third Avenue, Suite #914
Seattle, WASeattle, WA 9810198101206206--838838--81628162
[email protected]@napca.org
