¡®It¡¯s Like You Are Trapped in a Small Place¡¯: Language Skill Acquisition and Settlement Outcomes of Ageing Cambodian Refugees

Shamette Hepburn

International Journal of Social Work, 2020, vol. 7, issue 2, 1-16

Abstract: Language skill acquisition is one of the main challenges encountered by refugees and immigrants entering and transitioning to a new society. In Canada, adult newcomers¡¯ language education is primarily tasked to English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. These programs aim to provide English language training, preparation for the labour market and integration into Canadian society. This paper presents findings of a larger qualitative study that explored the experiences of 15 community-dwelling Cambodian Canadians (aged 55 and older) in northwest Toronto. Drawing on critical transnationalism and postcolonialism, it examines Cambodian Canadians¡¯ reflections on their language skill acquisition and integration vis-¨¤-vis the education and migration regimes which form part of the resettlement bureaucracy supporting these activities and processes. Decades after participating in language education programs, ageing Cambodian Canadians¡¯ narratives reveal that inadequate resources and support have resulted in lower than desired language skill acquisition and differential inclusion within their communities.

Date: 2020
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