Lost in Translation

Center for an Urban Future. 120 Wall Street 20th Floor, New York, NY 10005. Tel: 212-479-3341; Fax: 212-344-6457; Web site: http://www.nycfuture.org

N

14

Population Growth; Immigrants; English (Second Language); Language Proficiency; State Government; Local Government; Government Role; Community Responsibility; Business; Job Training; Access to Education; Labor Force Development; Job Skills; Financial Support; Adult Education; Adult Literacy

New York; Washington

In the 19th and 20th centuries, millions of people from every corner of the world shared one dream: to come to America and enjoy a better life for themselves and their children. Not only did they fulfill this dream, they made America--and New York in particular--an immeasurably better place in doing so. That dream remains, powerful as ever, and immigrants still come to New York with their hopes, their dreams and their willingness to work hard to make them come true. But in the knowledge economy of the 21st century, that is not enough: English language skills are much more important for this generation of immigrants than was the case for their predecessors. Without the ability to communicate with employers, co-workers and customers, newcomers "hit the wall" of upward advancement far more often and much more quickly than was true 100 or even 50 years ago. Unfortunately, while new immigrants have been fueling the population growth of communities in nearly every corner of the state, from Suffolk County to Syracuse, the state-run English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program has not come close to keeping pace with the demand. State officials have failed even to acknowledge, much less effectively address, the fact that even though the state's foreign-born population has grown by nearly 1.3 million since 1990, adult ESOL programs administered through the New York State Department of Education added only 15,000 new seats over the same period. Given the growing importance of English proficiency for New York State's workers, employers and general economic health, public and private sector leaders alike must address the myriad issues facing the ESOL system. The good news is that the needed changes are not controversial, or even much in dispute. After outlining each of these major issues in depth, this document presents a first set of suggestions for the state's new political leadership including: (1) State and local leaders must increase funding for ESOL; (2) The business community must step up; (3) The new administration should measure, manage and promote service provision; and (4) Employment Preparation Education should be reformed. A brief list of related sources and resources is also included. (Contains 4 tables and 31 endnotes.) [This policy brief was also produced by the the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy as part of the Working Poor Families Project.]

ERIC

2007

ED495090