Asian High School Newcomer CrossCultural Adjustment: How Counsellors Can Help

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Asian High School Newcomer Cross-Cultural
AdjustmentHow Counsellors Can Help

• Michael LeBlanc
• FHS/UNB

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Why Me?

• High school guidance counsellor working with many
  newcomers and immigrants
• Lived and worked in South Korea from 1995-2001
• Research focus on newcomer adjustment and
  multicultural education

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Why you?

• What brings you here?

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Why this topic?

• Canadian newcomer adjustment experience
  relatively unknown Korean and Chinese groups are
  heterogeneous
• Large percentage of newcomers in many high
  schools in Canada are Korean and Chinese
• Schools and communities unprepared for increase
  in newcomer population
• Current school programs inadequate for new
  diverse school reality (Walqui, 2000)
• Counsellors, as leaders in systemic change, face
  much responsibility for school adjustment of
  newcomers

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Five Objectives

• To review the results of my qualitative research
• To examine current literature of Korean and
  Chinese adolescent newcomers
• To explore current school support practices
• To offer recommendations for counsellors,
  particularly in the school environment
• To discuss your experiences with this population

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Background Statistics

• 220,000 newcomers annually in Canada (CIC, 2007)
• 20 of Canadian population minority in 8 years
• Number of new immigrants in Canada
• Chinese - 1 Korean - 5
• National increase in K and C immigrants 10
• New Brunswick increase in K and C immigrants
  50
• Number of new Korean families in Fredericton
  since 2002 approximately 200
• Number of Chinese families in Fredericton
  approximately 200
• Number of new Chinese and Korean students
  enrolled at Fredericton High School since 2003
  approximately 125

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What makes Chinese and Korean adolescentnewcomers
unique

• Canadian education one of main reasons for coming
  (Confucian influence)
• Relief from national exam system
• Seldom academic gaps usually opposite
• Strong parental support often astronaut
  families
• Parents SES, education level
• Societal expectations Model Minority
• Collectivism vs. Individualism
• Within group pressures and obligations
• Large enclaves
• Large/sudden increase in population
• Cultural Language fit

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The Immigration Experience for High School-Aged
Newcomers

• Adjustment Stress
• Settlement Tasks
• Language Learning
• Cultural Learning
• Interpersonal Relationships
• Academics
• Community Contact
• Adolescent Identity Development

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The adjustment experiences of high school-aged
Korean and Chinese newcomers Research Design

• Qualitative/Phenomenological
• - understanding the complex and dynamic
  experience
• Four Korean, two Chinese high school students
  (15/16 yrs old, 3 male, 3 female)
• Semi-structured interviews (45-65 minutes)
• In Canada between 6 months and 3 years

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What did these six interviewees talk about?
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Identified Theme Structure

• 1. Initial Adjustment Experience
• Impressions upon Arrival
• Culture
• 2. Home Experience
• Settlement
• Communication and Language Acquisition
• Support
• 3. School Experience
• Communication and Language Acquisition
• Companionship
• National Exam Relief and Volunteer Activities
• Academics
• Support
• 4. Community Experience
• Korean/Chinese Community Support and Activities
• 5. Recommendations for Newcomers

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Findings Reactions upon arrival

• Size of Fredericton a surprise
• All spent first 4-7 days sequestered in
  home/hotel
• We just stayed in some family hotel and
  communicated with the Chinese people. We
  couldnt learn anything about Canada. You
  know, in the first few days I didnt communicate
  with anybody (H, interview)

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Findings Growing population an issue

• Education/language learning main reasons for
  immigrating
• I didnt know New Brunswick. I just knew
  Vancouver, Toronto, big citiesthere were not
  very much Korean people here two years ago.
  But, now, there is many people here. If there are
  many Korean students theres no chance to speak
  English. My parents are worried about when Korean
  students are here (Y, interview)

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Findings Home language

• Most Korean and Chinese participants spoke only
  national language (L1) at home
• All felt it negatively affected ELL, but also
  felt it was a stress relief to speak national
  language at home I just speak without any
  thinking it just comes out (J, interview)

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Findings Home support

• 1 on own (guardians)
• 3 astronaut families
• 2 with both parents

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Findings School

• Language acquisition and making Canadian
  friends two main adjustment difficulties
• Theyre the main problems English and
  making friends. If I spoke English very well I
  could make many friends. I would try if I could
  speak English very well. Im trying now, too,
  but its hard (Y, interview).

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Findings Language

• Learning English A main reason for coming to
  Canada
• Korean students spoke mostly Korean with Korean
  friends
• Chinese students spoke only English with Chinese
  friends
• 5/6 had negative views of their English language
  competency

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Findings Companionship

• All struggled to make solid Canadian-born
  friends some still searching after 2 years
• I want Canadian friends more than Korean
  friends. But, Korean friends are important for me
  because we think the same. But I need Canadian
  friends for English and thats why I came
  herebut I couldntthats the problem. (Y,
  interview)

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Findings Extra-time

• Relief felt from not writing national
  university-entrance exams
• 5/6 were very excited to have time for
  extra-curricular activities
• Most had not felt comfortable joining school clubs

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Findings Academics

• All expected to reach pre-Canada grades
  immediately
• Felt pressure to perform from parents
• Felt pressure to escape EAL quickly

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Findings Community

• 5/6 actively involved in Korean/Chinese
  communities
• They help them remember who they are
• Acculturation

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Discussion What does this research mean for
Korean and Chinese adolescent newcomers?

• Immediate social/cultural support
• Connections to potential friends
• Comprehensive ELL program
• Connections to ethnic community
• Extra-curricular info/support
• Individualized educational/academic program
• Parental involvement/contact/info
• Reasonable language/academic expectations
• Encourage native language (L1) in home
• School staff/student information
• Classroom teacher support (Content-based EAL)

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What are the current newcomer programming
practices in schools?

• Lack of leadership and direction from top
• Lack of detailed newcomer adjustment plan
• Language learning focus (EAL classes, tutoring)
  ASAP
• Immediate immersion in typical new
  fluent-in-English student schedule
• Using native language (L1) is harmful when
  learning English (L2)
• Lack of understanding of/info for acculturation,
  psychological/cultural adjustment, social and
  academic needs for parents, teachers and students
• New Korean and Chinese students will find their
  way
• Segregation/under-use of knowledgeable EAL
  teachers/staff
• New Korean and Chinese students should conform to
  current system melting pot approach

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What to do?

• Systemic Change
• 2. Leadership
• 3. Advocacy

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Systemic Change

• Counsellors contact school, district, provincial
  guidance coordinators for support/direction
• Work with school staff/admin to establish a
  comprehensive, specific and long/short term
  goal-oriented newcomer programme
• EAL classes with multiple levels part of
  English or Second Language Departments

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Leadership

• Become the expert in multicultural issues
• Develop a detailed action plan ELL, social,
  adjustment, extra-curricular, academic,
  community, home, info sessions, acceptance
• Ensure staff understand the role of EAL classes
• Establish school ties with local multicultural
  associations Korean association and Chinese
  association (settlement, cultural training,
  translating)
• Teach staff/students about cultural adjustment
  and related issues (staff meeting, PD)
• Collect Data Questionnaires, interviews,
  database, to determine needs/services and track
  s
• Support classroom teacher with info on
  differentiation and content-based instructional
  methods

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Advocacy

• Establish atmosphere of acceptance, equity and
  access that honours diversity
• Ensure counsellor visibility/recognition
• Counsellor/EAL staff collaboration
• Contact with English Quality over Quantity
• Encourage newcomer parental involvement
• Establish an International Students
  Association, Newcomer Association, or
  equivalent
• Hold information meetings for BOTH newcomer
  students and their parents each semester
• Consider group interventions to allow student
  to save face
• Introduce newcomers to peers through
  Ambassadors Club, Buddy Club, or Peer
  Mentors 1st week key
• Have teachers set up buddy for each class
• Ensure comprehensive introduction to
  extra-curricular activity list and how to join

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Counselling Process Issues with High School-Aged
Newcomers

• Low counsellor self-efficacy in area
• Underutilization or lack of connection?
• Communication barriers
• Cultural stereotyping
• IDing source of issue amongst large list of
  possibilities
• Directive or non-directive?

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Counselling Strategies

• Clarify needs/counselling process
• Acknowledge cultural differences
• Determine decision maker? (Brown, 2006)
• Adjusting communicative style
• Adjust for counselling expectations of students

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Thank you very much!

• Michael LeBlanc
• Fredericton High School
• University of New Brunswick
• michael.t.leblanc_at_nbed.nb.ca
• mleblan2_at_unb.ca