[NIFL-FAMILY:1722] RE: Parenting Ed & Support for non-native Eng

From: Janet Anderson (JAnderson@sbctc.ctc.edu)
Date: Mon Oct 12 1998 - 12:14:02 EDT


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From: Janet Anderson <JAnderson@sbctc.ctc.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:1722] RE: Parenting Ed & Support  for non-native Eng
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In Washington State, the Refugee Women's Alliance does an amazing job of
working in the classroom with low level ESL students in parenting.  Many
of their students do not have strong basic skills in their own language,
so written translations of parenting information will not serve them.
On the Refugee Women's Alliance staff are caseworkers with good English
skills from each of the populations the program serves.  Once or twice a
week the caseworkers sit in the ESL/Even Start classroom with the
population of students they represent.  As the ESL instructor brings up
a parenting issue such as different rules in the USA regarding child
abuse, for example, the caseworker translates for his/her group, they
discuss the information among themselves bringing in not only their
concerns and ideas, but also the approach their culture traditionally
has had toward the subject.  The caseworker summarizes and reports back
to the total class in English.  The caseworkers are not official
"translators" --that's an expensive way to go.  Since they are the same
people who work with that population group to help them access the
social services they need, they have an understanding of those they work
with.  

In addition, the organization has an excellent family literacy
curriculum ESL instructors can use when the caseworkers are not
available.  Because they are a small organization with a limited budget,
please do not expect them to mail or fax you information without some
financial help. 

To contact Refugee Women's Alliance, write to Sue Wilkes, Director,
Refugee Women's Alliance, 3004 S. Alaska, Seattle WA 98108.  Phone: 206
721-0243, rrewa@aol.com

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	QMEIN@aol.com [SMTP:QMEIN@aol.com]
> Sent:	Friday, October 09, 1998 8:21 PM
> To:	Multiple recipients of list
> Subject:	[NIFL-FAMILY:1720] Parenting Ed & Support  for
> non-native English speakers
> 
> Here's a question I received last week from an Even Start local
> program
> director.
> Can anyone help? The director said they have a mix of Chinese, Korean,
> and
> Thai families, plus a group of native Spanish speakers. And this is a
> rural
> Oregon community.
> There are no interpreters available , except some Spanish-speaking
> interpreters
> 
> I know there are other  communities with this same issue. One of the
> director's questions: Where do you find parenting materials in the
> families'
> own language. Or do you just start with English and do the best you
> can? 
> 
> Any hints? Maybe the list would like to hear comments, too.
> 
> Thanks
> from Oregon's state Even Start coordinator
> 
> Cathy Lindsley



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