Adult Literacy Education In Immigrant Communities

Immigration Upswing

The number of foreign-born individuals in the United States has tripled to 35.8 million — or 12% of the total population — in just 35 years.

Beyond English

As of 2005, one in five working-age Americans spoke a language other than English at home and more than 17 million adults in this age range spoke English less than very well.

A Growing Demand

More than half of all English acquisition providers report an enrollment backlog — with waiting lists ranging from a few weeks to more than three years. These programs simply cannot accommodate the high demand for English courses, according to findings from a recent 22-city survey.

An Uphill Undertaking

Some challenges facing practitioners of English instruction programs are: an immense funding shortage; an extreme resistance at the federal level to support immigrant-related services; and a lack of infrastructure to serve non-English speakers in states where these populations are rapidly expanding.

Looking Ahead

In this report, the Asian American Justice Center identifies 10 priorities for improving English acquisition programs both nationally and locally. These focal points include: boosting private-sector support; expanding research efforts; and growing the teaching workforce.