Adult Literacy Education in Immigrant Communities: Identifying Policy and Program Priorities for Helping Newcomers Learn English
This groundbreaking report offers an in-depth exploration of the pressing language barriers facing the estimated 2.23 million adults in this country who are Limited English Proficient (LEP) – and how best to solve them. English language skills are a must when it comes to increasing immigrants’ ability to participate in the economic and civic life of their communities. But long waiting lists, overcrowded classrooms, programs of uneven quality and a lack of a national strategy to address these issues currently characterize immigrants’ access to high-quality adult literacy programs, even though English programs are available in most localities. This report provides an overview of issues discussed at the Adult Literacy Education in Immigrant Communities summit held in Washington, D.C. Led by AAJC and held in partnership with the National Immigration Forum and the National Council of La Raza, along with more than 50 stakeholders, the meeting and this study have brought to the fore new, innovative ways to best help this underserved population.