As a primary means of communication, language is vital for the millions of immigrants who come to America. English is a global language spoken by hundreds of millions and is the official language of the United States. Therefore, speaking English fluently is one of the most important factors that will lead to an immigrant’s success in America.
Do Most Immigrants Want to Learn English?
Not only do immigrants want to learn English, but they have sacrificed to come to America. By putting in the hard work necessary to learn the language they can give themselves the lives they want.
According to the PEW Research Center, more than one million immigrants come to America each year. Even though this is a very large number, it does not include the number who come on travel Visas and overstay their permitted duration. Millions of immigrants come to America with a dream of a better life and the first step to success can be to learn English.
Why Do Immigrants Want to Learn English?
There are numerous reasons why immigrants want to learn English. They include:
Help With Communication
One of the biggest hurdles for many immigrants is the language barrier. Many foreigners who migrate to America do not know English. However, they must still fulfill requirements to get a job. Coming to America, there will be a lot of things to do, most of which require knowledge of the English language to accomplish. Plus, when they take the citizenship test, there is an English test that they must pass before becoming a U.S. citizen.
Connect With Others
Immigrants also want to learn English to communicate effectively wherever they are. Speaking English helps them fully integrate into the American culture. They can communicate directly with their neighbors and those with whom they conduct business. This includes speaking English at the grocery store, the post office, and at their children’s schools. They can make informed decisions when they can read with understanding. Immigrants can communicate with their doctors, attorneys, and other professionals.
Without the ability to speak English, immigrants may feel isolated and lonely in their new environments. Knowing English, however, offers opportunities to connect with neighbors in their communities.
Get a Better Job in America
When immigrants arrive in the US, they often take jobs that are available. They want to get on their feet and provide for family members in their home countries. Many immigrants are college-educated professionals in their own countries, but due to difficult circumstances, economic or imminent danger, they cannot remain in their country. The financial need is what propels their decisions to find work in America fast. At this point, even though they may qualify for professional jobs, their inability to speak English fluently impedes their potential to get those jobs.
English knowledge opens economic doors of opportunities. Most jobs in America require English language fluency and it is often a prerequisite for employment. And speaking English can open up access to higher-paying jobs, and provide avenues for ongoing career advancement.
To Participate in America’s Political System
There are increasing numbers of immigrants who have chosen to throw their hat into politics. More want to do so. They want to run for public office, vote, and serve as jurors. They must be able to comprehend English first. For those who would like to become U.S. citizens, they must pass a Civics test on the citizenship exam.
How Can Immigrants Learn English?
One of the best ways to learn English is to enroll in a Vocational ESL (VESL) program. Vocational ESL offers English classes that can be used to find employment. As mentioned earlier, when immigrants arrive in the U.S., they often don’t possess the English required to get good jobs, even though that is one of their biggest reasons they come to America.
The immigrants’ demographics are varying and impact language instruction. Immigrants are not only from Central and South America, but they have also come from countries such as China, India, Africa, Haiti, Ukraine, Iran, and Turkey. Vocational ESL programs are uniquely able to address these issues with their strong emphasis on the core fundamentals of English instruction. The Vocational ESL instructors will help the students achieve clarity by focusing on problem areas with the students. Classes are small, which allows the instructors to give individual attention to the students.
What Do You Learn During a Vocational ESL Program?
This program uses a specialized course of instruction for ESL learners. Whatever career path Vocational ESL students take, they will learn English that will help them meet a job’s communication requirements. They will be able to communicate with customers, supervisors, and their coworkers effectively. This language proficiency opens doors for them to get promotions and increased pay.
In a Vocational ESL program, the student will have well-rounded, practical English instruction. They will learn vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar. They will also learn listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills. Equally important, they will learn the eight parts of speech and how they function in a sentence.
Noun
A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea. Common nouns refer to people, places, and things in general: house, car, boy. They are only capitalized at the beginning of a sentence. Proper nouns refer to specific pronouns and capitalized such as “Jane, Tom, Mr. Smith and Professor Tomas.”
Pronoun
A pronoun replaces a noun. Instead of saying “Sean went to the basketball game,” using a pronoun you could say, “He went to the basketball game.” The most commonly used personal pronouns are I, you, he, she, we, you, they. The most widely used possessive pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers, theirs.
Verb
A verb is an action word used to describe an activity or a state of being: He “is” doing well.” A sentence with a subject and a verb is complete: He did.
Adverb
An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb and often ends in “ly” for regular adverbs. It is often used to show time, place, degree, or frequency. For example: “The report accurately describes the incident.”
Adjective
An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun. Using an adjective makes the sentence more specific. I can modify house by using adjectives: “I bought a big, blue house.”
Preposition
Prepositions indicate location, time, or direction. Some general uses of “in” include utilizing it to show a department or industry. “I work in the music industry. I work in the contracts department.”
Conjunction
Conjunctions are words that link phrases and clauses together such as: “and, or, but and for.” “He is tall and handsome but not rich.”
Interjection
An interjection expresses emotions like “wow!.”
How Do You Practice Your English Skills?
There will be plenty of opportunities to practice what you’ve learned in class. You will communicate with classmates, instructors, and other staff at your vocational school. By using what you have learned in class, you will reinforce the language that you have learned.
Vocational schools are also high tech and keep up to date with effective means of digital learning. Take advantage of any Vocational ESL software that you can continue to use outside of the classroom, particularly those with interactive activities. There are other opportunities to supplement your study of the English language. Your advisor can direct you on effective ways of learning wherever you are, like listening to an English podcast while in transit.
Final Thoughts
A Vocational ESL program is the right path for those who seek English skills to improve interpersonal communication. By taking advantage of its resources, you will be well on your way to gainful employment and integration into your community. Call Interactive College of Technology to set up an interview with our admissions staff. We are willing to show you just how valuable our Vocational ESL program could be to your life and your career.
Want to Learn More?
Our Vocational English as a Second Language (ESL) training program is designed for student success. Interactive College of Technology offers live online and in-person English classes that fit into your busy schedule.
Our Vocational ESL classes are set up, so your English develops skill by skill. Four levels of rigorous courses help you to comprehend the English language by combining lecture, lab, class discussion, and group activities. This effective method ensures Vocational ESL students are provided English language skills as well as cultural transference.
You receive all Vocational ESL program materials to keep. You’ll also be provided with a personal email account, resume writing, and job placement assistance, media center access, and more! Our campuses are located across Georgia and Texas.
Let’s learn English together! Contact us now to learn more.
