Navigating a New Life and Job with English as a New Language

two engineers at a construction site

Imagine you have arrived in a new country where the dominant language is one you have limited proficiency in or do not command. And this is not a vacation. Either out of desire or necessity, you are now living in a new country navigating a new life and new language. To survive, gain some stability, and hopefully thrive, you have to find meaningful employment. Fortunately, if you have decided to plant your roots in Brevard County, Florida, a resource for learning English as a new language is Brevard Adult and Community Education. According to the U.S. Department of Education’s Division of Adult Education and Literacy, Florida is the third state with the highest immigrant population serving over 171,116 English language programs participants under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which is a “Federal program that provides foundation skills below the postsecondary level and English literacy instruction for out-of-school youth and adults.”

In a recent episode of “Language is Your Superpower” podcast, guest Casie Arellano shares how she supports adult English language learners with the attainment of language proficiency for a diverse workforce. With a career of over 13 years in education and 5 years working with the Adult Education program, she explains how Brevard Adult and Community Education is building outreach centers to help adult learners develop a pathway to achieving their dreams using language as a stepping-stone. Their ESOL program is one of their most successful programs in the state, assisting students who are integrating into a new life and the culture of the United States. Courses cover improving language skills, learning about U.S. culture, and preparing to become a U.S. citizen, to name a few.

Many of the ESOL learners Casie and her team serve arrive with educational achievements from their countries of origin, and they are looking for ways to start their lives in Florida but may not be proficient in English and need assistance with job placement. That’s where Casie’s team comes in to focus on helping them improve their proficiency in English so they can navigate conversations as they go about their daily lives, such as going to the grocery store, taking their children to school, making doctors’ appointments, etc. For job placement, specifically, they partner with collaborators like CareerSource Brevard, to focus on workplace conversation and occupational terminology. For example, if ESOL learners want a job in accounting or tax preparation, there is a program that helps them learn the terminology associated with having a career as a tax preparer. Due to the challenges of securing adequate childcare and transportation, Casie’s team of over 27 instructors support their clientele by also offering these classes virtually.

All of the variables that a native English language speaker or someone that is raised in the U.S. might take for granted, Brevard Adult and Community Education provides as support to those in need. Aimed at identifying resources and eliminating barriers “that lead to educational goals and workforce opportunity,” the program’s mission is to “provide an open door to a quality education to all adult learners and those in the community that seek skills to enhance their life.” Just like Brevard Adult and Community Education, Language Testing International believes that “education is the key to success” and that language education can open pathways to navigating life and work in more than one language.

The next step in your language journey starts today. Test your language proficiency with LTI.

Tune into the podcast with Casie here.

Access to Employment with English as a New Language

customer service representative at a desk

At Language Testing International (LTI), we’ve seen countless examples of how learning a new language can unleash a world of new possibilities and opportunities, for individuals and for businesses.

Focusing on business opportunities, people are often unaware that learning a new language can lead to career advancement within certain job roles, or it can lead to completely new company offerings, or career path options for employees. When individuals migrate to the U.S. from a different country or territory that predominantly speaks a language other than English, learning and being able to communicate well enough to obtain sufficient employment to sustain themselves and their family becomes the imperative. Especially for professionals arriving to the U.S. escaping crisis situations, learning English and finding work is not necessarily about accessing career advancement opportunities, but it’s oftentimes mostly a matter of basic survival.

On a recent episode of LTI’s “Language Is Your Superpower” podcast, special guest Casie Arellano explained how the work she does with her community’s English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) population helps adult learners become proficient in the English language and also apply their ESOL education as a direct pathway to obtaining employment.

Casie Arellano has been in education since 2009 and began working with Adult Education programs in August 2017. She currently oversees all ESOL programs with Brevard Adult and Community Education in Brevard County, Florida, where she has been working on building outreach centers to help adult learners develop pathways to achieving their dreams using language as a stepping-stone. Their ESOL program is one of the most successful programs they conduct, assisting students who are integrating into life and the culture of the United States. Courses cover improving language skills, learning about U.S. culture, and preparing to become a U.S. citizen.

Casie explained that, within her community, “a lot of the [ESOL] population that comes to us, they already have education from their countries, and they are looking to start their lives here in Florida. We help them to get into the workforce.” Casie explained that one of the ways they can accomplish this is through a partnership with CareerSource Brevard. “We teach [the students] English and then we offer the classes at their centers, and they work with a career counselor and the career counselor will help put them into jobs.”

Casie told us that they have various centers that assist with different aspects of ESOL learning. She said, for example, “if they come to our direct center, we’re teaching them more about the language and how to use the language in their everyday lives, such as going to the grocery store, such as making doctor’s appointments and things like that.” However, for those seeking to obtain employment, “when we teach the class at CareerSource Brevard, we’re more focused on the language that they’re going to use in the workforce.” This workforce-focused pathway not only teaches students how to communicate with more professional vernacular, but it also provides additional online resources that help students learn industry-specific terminology.

Casie shared that one of the tools available to the students is “an online program that is phenomenal in helping them with the language.” She went on to provide the example that “if they’re interested in … [preparing] taxes, there’s a program [within] this program to teach them all of the language they are going to need and that they’re going to use if they choose to have a career as a tax preparer.” Additionally, they focus on seeking job opportunities where being bilingual is an asset, such as positions as a flight attendant or as a customer service representative in a call center.

The experiences and stories Casie shared with us illustrate how powerful language learning programs can have in a diverse region. They emphasize that when these language learning programs are supported with job readiness training and services that help immigrant populations integrate effectively in the workforce, this results in increased economic growth for individuals and businesses alike.

Learn more by tuning into our podcast with Casie Arellano.

Finding Success with Language Proficiency in a New Country

businessman on a computer

In a recent episode of the “Language is Your Superpower” podcast guest Casie Arellano and host Lisa March have a conversation about supporting the attainment of language proficiency for a diverse workforce, particularly in the case of adult English learners. As a leader and educator in Adult Education, Casie shares the success story of Han and his family, immigrants from Russia to the U.S., and how their participation in English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs with Brevard Adult and Community Education prepared them for success in their new life in the United States.

Han and his family came to the U.S. from Russia and decided to make Brevard County, Florida home. In Russia, he and his wife were engineers with formal education and skills in this field. While they were experienced professionals, the language barriers they faced in the U.S. made it challenging for them to attain employment as engineers in Florida. As a result, Han was juggling various jobs such as delivering pizzas, and his wife was working at Macy’s to keep their family afloat.

Han and his wife enrolled in the Brevard Adult and Community Education program at CareerSource Brevard to learn English, with hopes of acquiring the necessary language skills to propel their careers and better provide for their family. Research findings highlighted in a World of Labor article entitled, “What drives the language proficiency of immigrants?” unveiled that higher wages and better job opportunities, along with the length of time spent in a new country, are incentives for acquiring a new language. While taking English classes, Han became aware of a grant for technology training that CareerSource had to offer. If he had not been participating in the Brevard Adult and Community Education ESOL classes, he may not have become aware of this additional offering. After an assessment confirmed that Han could understand and speak English at a 6th grade level, he was accepted into the CareerSource technology training program and began his journey toward establishing a career in his new country by growing his language proficiency in his field.

This is just one of many success stories about the impact that the Brevard Adult and Community Education program has had in the life of ESOL learners that have decided to make the U.S. their home. If you are bilingual and want to test your language proficiency to propel your career, get certified with LTI today! Start here.

Meet a Language Superhero: Ashley Counahan

language superhero Ashley CounahanA graduate of the University of Tampa with dual BA degrees in Advertising/Public Relations and in Spanish, Ashley Counahan is a passionate advocate for language education, intercultural communication, and cultural awareness. As a bilingual English and Speaking speaker, Ashley is pursuing a career in education, and she shared her inspiring story for this month’s “Language Proficiency Is Your Superpower” feature. In Ashley’s words, “Being bilingual has enriched my life in so many ways and has opened my eyes to new cultural perspectives! I look forward to building out my career, teaching others the irreplaceable value of the Spanish language and culture.”

Read Ashley’s story here: Language-Superpower-Magazine-Ashley_Counahan