Document Type

Student Presentation

Presentation Date

4-21-2014

Faculty Sponsor

Sarah Toevs

Abstract

Refugees who come to the United States of America are culturally and linguistically diverse. Adopting a new culture and learning new languages are always a challenge and this is particularly true for older adults. The English Language Center (ELC) and the SHINE program at Boise State University is a platform for older adult refugees to learn and overcome the challenges of adapting to a new place. The observational study is going with the help of center of Aging, Boise State University. The purpose of this observational study is to gather information about the experiences of refugees over the age of 60 in the language classes from a social and health perspective. Preliminary findings indicate that the challenges include hearing and vision problems, difficulty in understanding and learning English, and lack of social interaction. Additionally, due to language barriers between the teachers, volunteers and students the transition process has not been as smooth as expected.

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