English Proficiency (english + proficiency)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Limited English Proficiency and Disparities in Clinical Research

THE JOURNAL OF LAW, MEDICINE & ETHICS, Issue 1 2009
Dan Bustillos
Patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) are a protected class under the Civil Rights Act. However, clinical trials continue to remain largely inaccessible to this population. This article lays out the scientific, legal, and ethical rationales for the inclusion of LEP subjects in clinical research. [source]


The Effects of Differences in Point of View on the Story Production of Japanese EFL Students

FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, Issue 2 2001
Taeko Kamimura
Japanese college EFL students wrote two narrative stories based on the same series of pictures, one in the first-person perspective and the other in the third-person perspective. The sample writings were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively in relation to the students' levels of English proficiency. The results showed that when the perspective was shifted from the first to the third person, the low-proficiency students' writings became poorer in quantity and quality, whereas the high-proficiency students' narratives exhibited no decrease in quantity and a slight decline in quality. On the other hand, when the perspective was switched from the third to the first person, the students' writings showed both quantitative and qualitative development, and this development was more clearly observed in the stories of those with high English proficiency. [source]


Migration, Motherhood, Marriage: Cross-Cultural Adaptation of North American Immigrant Mothers in Israel

INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 1 2009
Laura I. Sigad
This study probes the cross-cultural adaptation patterns of North American women who immigrated to Israel with their Israeli-born husbands (or married there) and are mothers in their new country. In order to undertake a cultural analysis of the interplay between immigration, motherhood and bicultural marriage, we examine: the effects of motherhood and North American culture of origin on cross-cultural adaptation; the effects of immigration to Israel on motherhood and childrearing; the influence of family of origin on the immigrant motherhood experience; and the role of Israeli husbands and their families in the women's cross-cultural adaptation process. We study patterns for the entire group as well as bringing out individual differences. Our main finding is that motherhood serves as the principal social link to the Israeli host society. The high status of North American culture and English proficiency facilitate cross-cultural adaptation in Israel. Our findings reveal transnationalist tendencies co-existing with various adaptation strategies. We propose an expansion of previous acculturation models to accommodate this dual modus vivendi. [source]


Afraid in the hospital: Parental concern for errors during a child's hospitalization,,§

JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL MEDICINE, Issue 9 2009
Beth A. Tarini MD
Abstract OBJECTIVE: (1) To determine the proportion of parents concerned about medical errors during a child's hospitalization; and (2) the association between this concern and parental self-efficacy with physician interactions. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Tertiary care children's hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Parents of children admitted to the general medical service. OUTCOME MEASURE: Parental concern about medical errors. METHODS: Parents were asked their agreement with the statement "When my child is in the hospital I feel that I have to watch over the care that he/she is receiving to make sure that mistakes aren't made." We used multivariate logistic regression to examine the association between parents' self-efficacy with physician interactions and the need "to watch over a child's care," adjusting for parent and child demographics, English proficiency, past hospitalization, and social desirability bias. RESULTS: Of 278 eligible parents, 130 completed surveys and 63% reported the need to watch over their child's care to ensure that mistakes were not made. Parents with greater self-efficacy with physician interactions were less likely to report this need (odds ratio [OR], 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72-0.92). All parents who were "very uncomfortable" communicating with doctors in English reported the need to watch over their child's care to prevent mistakes. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly two-thirds of surveyed parents felt the need to watch over their child's hospital care to prevent mistakes. Parents with greater self-efficacy with physician interactions were less likely to report the need to watch over their child's care while parents with lower English proficiency were more likely to report this need. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2009;4:521,527. © 2009 Society of Hospital Medicine. [source]


Improving science inquiry with elementary students of diverse backgrounds

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 3 2005
Peggy Cuevas
This study examined the impact of an inquiry-based instructional intervention on (a) children's ability to conduct science inquiry overall and to use specific skills in inquiry, and (b) narrowing the gaps in children's ability among demographic subgroups of students. The intervention consisted of instructional units, teacher workshops, and classroom practices. The study involved 25 third- and fourth-grade students from six elementary schools representing diverse linguistic and cultural groups. Quantitative results demonstrated that the intervention enhanced the inquiry ability of all students regardless of grade, achievement, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), home language, and English proficiency. Particularly, low-achieving, low-SES, and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) exited students made impressive gains. The study adds to the existing literature on designing learning environments that foster science inquiry of all elementary students. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 42: 337,357, 2005 [source]


Civic Spaces: Mexican Hometown Associations and Immigrant Participation

JOURNAL OF SOCIAL ISSUES, Issue 1 2010
S. Karthick Ramakrishnan
The study of civic participation and social capital in the United States has, until recently, been silent on the role of immigrant-serving organizations. There is a new line of scholarship, which indicates that ethnic organizations are generally disadvantaged in relation to White mainstream organizations on factors such as resources and political visibility. Our fieldwork on Mexican hometown associations (HTAs) in Los Angeles shows that transnational associations are even more disadvantaged than ethnic organizations that primarily serve the native born. However, this marginality leaves some counterintuitive advantages, namely the creation of safe spaces where undocumented immigrants, recent immigrants, and those with limited English proficiency can get involved in civic and political activities. We explore the extent to which these dynamics vary by gender and immigrant generation, and over time as Mexican hometown associations increasingly turn their attention to political issues in the United States. [source]


A survey of language barriers from the perspective of pediatric oncologists, interpreters, and parents

PEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER, Issue 6 2006
Marisa Abbe MA
Abstract Background Oncologists in the US increasingly face the challenge of communicating with non-English speaking parents of children with cancer. This study explores this challenge from the perspectives of a sample of pediatric oncologists, interpreters, and Spanish-speaking parents of children with newly diagnosed leukemia. Procedure Thirty-seven oncologists and 17 professional language interpreters based at two non-profit pediatric hospitals in the US were surveyed on the topic of language barriers in pediatric care. Seventeen parents who communicated with their child's oncologist through an interpreter were also surveyed. Results All groups expressed considerable concern over the process of communicating across a language barrier. For oncologists, these concerns included the accuracy and completeness of interpretations, complexity of information, and loss of confidence and control over the communication process. For interpreters, they included complexity of information, information overload, and lack of clinician sensitivity toward the cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds of limited English proficiency (LEP) families. Parent concerns included difficulties comprehending information and anxiety over the possibility of missing out on important information. All groups provided multiple suggestions for improving communication across a language barrier. Conclusions Oncologists, interpreters, and parents expressed considerable concern over the process of communicating across a language barrier. Some of these concerns could be minimized through efforts to boost interpreter accuracy and completeness, including the use of more simple, easy to understand language. Other issues, such as differences in culture and socioeconomic background, warrant consideration of the intercultural knowledge and skills of interpreters. Pediatric Blood Cancer 2006;47:819,824. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Lifetime and 12-Month Intermittent Explosive Disorder in Latinos

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 1 2008
Alexander N. Ortega PhD
This study examined the occurrence, correlates, and psychiatric co-morbidities of lifetime and 12-month intermittent explosive disorder (IED) and whether impairment due to IED differed across Latino groups. We used data on 2,554 Latino adults (75.5% response rate) from the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS). Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of IED among Latinos were 5.8% and 4.1%, respectively. Unemployment was a common risk factor for both lifetime and 12-month IED. Protective factors for both lifetime and 12-month IED were having poor/fair English proficiency and being born outside the U.S. mainland. Cubans, Mexicans and other Latinos had lower odds of both lifetime and 12-month IED relative to Puerto Ricans, while Puerto Ricans with IED did not demonstrate worse impairment compared with the other groups with IED. Lifetime and 12-month IED were associated with several depressive, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Given its significant association with a wide-range of mental disorders, future research should consider the validity of IED as a unique disorder or whether it is merely a constellation of symptoms that accompanies a variety of mental diseases. [source]


Policy Development and New Immigrant Communities: A Case Study of Citizen Input in Defining Transit Problems

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REVIEW, Issue 5 2005
Hindy Lauer Schachter
This case study explores an attempt to get input from people with limited English proficiency in a state department of transportation project to improve their transit access. Adding community voices to expert discourse can increase an agency's ability to respond effectively in a technical field. The article yields insights into the benefits of using deliberative groups rather than questionnaires as a technique for involving citizens in problem definition. [source]


No improvement,reflections and suggestions on the use of Skype to enhance college students' oral English proficiency

BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2008
Ya-Ting C. Yang
First page of article [source]


English language proficiency and smoking prevalence among California's Asian Americans,

CANCER, Issue S12 2005
Hao Tang M.D., Ph.D.
Abstract The authors documented California's tobacco control initiatives for Asian Americans and the current tobacco use status among Asian subgroups and provide a discussion of the challenges ahead. The California Tobacco Control Program has employed a comprehensive approach to decrease tobacco use in Asian Americans, including ethnic-specific media campaigns, culturally competent interventions, and technical assistance and training networks. Surveillance of tobacco use among Asian Americans and the interpretation of the results have always been a challenge. Data from the 2001 The California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) were analyzed to provide smoking prevalence estimates for all Asian Americans and Asian-American subgroups, including Korean, Filipino, Japanese, South Asian, Chinese, and Vietnamese. Current smoking prevalence was analyzed by gender and by English proficiency level. Cigarette smoking prevalence among Asian males in general was almost three times of that among Asian females. Korean and Vietnamese males had higher cigarette smoking prevalence rates than males in other subgroups. Although Asian females in general had low smoking prevalence rates, significant differences were found among Asian subgroups, from 1.1% (Vietnamese) to 12.7% (Japanese). Asian men who had high English proficiency were less likely to be smokers than men with lower English proficiency. Asian women with high English proficiency were more likely to be smokers than women with lower English proficiency. Smoking prevalence rates among Asian Americans in California differed significantly on the basis of ethnicity, gender, and English proficiency. English proficiency seemed to have the effect of reducing smoking prevalence rates among Asian males but had just the opposite effect among Asian females. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society. [source]