Bilingual Vocational Education for Immigrants. Overview. ERIC Digest No. 49.

"To finance this new way of life, the individual needs a job. Most immigrants face major obstacles in obtaining employment. Lopez-Valadez and others (l985) have identified four such obstacles.
-- Lack of English skills is possibly the greatest single barrier to employment success faced by LEP adults.
-- Cultural differences, which can cause symptoms from slight confusion and homesickness to a total "shut down" of functioning, impede the individual in all phases of the employment process.
--Few immigrants have skills directly transferable to the American workplace.
--Many employers and the general public resist the hiring of immigrants, fearing that there will be communication difficulties or that "American" jobs will be taken...

Cultural adjustment may be more difficult for many LEP individuals than learning English because cultural laws have not been codified and are not formally taught.The American workplace has a subculture all its own, characterized by acceptable and unacceptable behaviors and unwritten laws. The American job interview requires such cultural behaviors as directness, clear and confident responses, and eye contact. These behaviors are difficult for many Americans to master and are even harder for immigrants who have very different values and a weak command of the English language...

Since training will usually occur in English, some adaptation is required. Adaptation of instruction for LEP students includes adjustments in the curriculum, materials, and approaches. The following techniques are suggested.
--Introduce one concept at a time. --Use a slower pace in introducing information. --Use shorter lectures and more demonstrations. --Explain key concepts in the native language. --Provide bilingual glossaries. --Check readability and adapt materials if necessary. --Summarize or outline long, difficult readings. --Check comprehension frequently. --Use visual support materials. --Modify tests to evaluate mastery of content, not of English".

ERIC Identifier: ED268302
Publication Date: 1986-00-00
Author: Harrison, Cheryl
Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult Career and Vocational Education Columbus OH.
http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed268302.html