In the ESL seminar presented by our ESL Coordinator, Judy Rowlands at yesterday’s Flourish conference, Judy explained the stress often experienced by new migrants. May will present brave, smiling faces and yet be nursing great hurts and pain within. Relating this to ESL Judy noted:
ESL students often feel vulnerable, stressed, anxious, sad, numb and lonely. They often find themselves suddenly lacking in confidence. They may feel like failures. They are often experiencing grief. This is because many of them:
- Cannot communicate well in their new country.
- Are often without employment, and find it difficult to get work in Australia (and, I would add, if they can may find work, may feel it falls way below their expectations, given past experience and qualifications).
- Are far away from family, friends and familiar places.
- May live in unstable or cramped housing situations.
- Find the educational style in Australia very different.
- May not know how to operate in Australian society and culture, especially if they are recent arrivals. One contributor spoke of a ministry his church had exercised to some new Vietnamese migrants, which included accommodating them overnight. The next day he discovered they had slept on top of the bed because they had not realised it was appropriate to get in between the sheets during the night.
- Don’t feel a lot of acceptance or safety (emotional or physical).
- Are lonely and lacking an extensive support network.
Yet most ESL migrants are competent, intelligent adults who can communicate fluently in their first language and may well have had flourishing, successful careers in their country of origin.
www.facetofaceintercultural.com.au
Posted October 25, 2009
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