New Families Can Face Language and Cultural Challenges

By Corine Murray, PBVM, Executive Director, Presentation Lantern Center

When newcomers from other countries arrive in the area, they have many things to learn. Sometimes having the correct information is a very serious matter as the following story illustrates.

Her baby was sick and she was worried, very worried. After communicating with her doctor by telephone, she received instructions to give the child half a teaspoon of a particular medication every four hours. But there was a problem. She didn’t know the word teaspoon. This bright, college-educated and caring mother was at a serious disadvantage because English was not her first language and her reference for measurement was the metric system.

Newcomers from other countries have many challenges that those more familiar with the English language and American culture take for granted. Assisting a child to learn his or her spelling words can be a daunting task when the parent is not familiar with a word, its meaning, and pronunciation. Such situations are stressful for both parent and child.

A trip to the grocery store can be confusing and perhaps frustrating. Tasks such as reading labels, following directions for food preparation, and understanding measuring terms like 1/3 of a cup are unfamiliar to many newcomers. Some people come from countries where using an oven was not a part of their culture. The direction to bake something at 350 degrees for an hour is not clear.

Others may find it difficult to read and understand bus schedules. Some may struggle with counting money or locating where to make purchases for particular items.

In some countries, pharmacists can dispense medicine without a prescription from a physician. Many aspects of the health care system in the United States are unfamiliar to newcomers. American health care practices can seem new and strange. For those who are learning English and trying to converse with health care professionals, they have to think about what is being said to them, translate the meaning, think about the correct pronunciation for the response, and hope they are understood. Even mastering the English names for arm, leg, and stomach can be a challenge.

Indeed, English is a difficult language. According to Mary Pipher, author of The Middle of Everywhere, it often takes adults a year and a half to three years to learn conversational English and five to seven years to learn academic English.

Some tuition-free community resources in Dubuque County that help people improve their English skills include classes at Northeast Iowa Community College, (563) 557-8271, and Presentation Lantern, a drop-in center that offers one-on-one tutoring for adults, (563) 557-7134.