Research/Report
Author(s): Ginger Kosobucki, Immigrant Welcome Center; Brooke Smith, Pathway to Literacy Program; Cindy Reinhard, Independent Scholar
The primary aim of this study was to investigate barriers to English learning for adult immigrants residing in urban America. A secondary aim was to study the effect of baseline reading levels on immigrants’ participation in English class. The study design was a survey study of a convenience sample of 1,254 immigrants living in Indianapolis, Indiana, from 2018 to 2019. Among immigrants surveyed, 31% were emergent readers of English and 23% had 5 years or less of formal education. Both interrupted education and limited literacy are factors for classroom enrollment. Common barriers of work, family, health, transportation, and weather were mentioned; emergent English readers mentioned “can’t learn” and “too hard” at higher rates than all participants as reasons to never enroll or disenroll.