Lack of language resources is holding immigrants back

A shortage of funds, classes and ESL teachers are hurting immigrants in their quest for success in this country. Fluency in English is essential to succeed. - - Donna Poisl

BY VICTORIA YUE

It’s no secret that being able to speak English is critical to success in the workplace, but Chicago’s community college system makes it difficult for adults to gain the necessary language skills to find better job opportunities.

While the number of limited-English speakers in Chicago has varied little since 2000, funding for adult education has declined steadily. In the last five years, the system’s adult education funding, which mostly comes from the federal and state governments, was cut by more than 20 percent to $10.8 million.

“If our state is to recover and transition into the global economy, it will need a trained labor force, and English literacy is a key component of that training,” said Fred Tsao, policy director for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR).
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