Asian High School Newcomer Cross-Cultural Adjustment: How Counsellor’s Can Help

1. Asian High School Newcomer Cross-Cultural Adjustment:How Counsellor’s Can Help Michael LeBlanc FHS/UNB

2. 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

3. Why you? • What brings you here?

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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’

9. The Immigration Experience for High School-Aged Newcomers • Adjustment Stress • Settlement Tasks • Language Learning • Cultural Learning • Interpersonal Relationships • Academics • Community Contact • Adolescent Identity Development

10. “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

11. What did these six interviewees talk about?

12. 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

13. 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 couldn’t learn anything about Canada…. You know, in the first few days I didn’t communicate with anybody” (H, interview)

14. Findings: Growing population an issue • Education/language learning main reasons for immigrating “I didn’t know New Brunswick. I just knew Vancouver, Toronto, big cities…there were not very much Korean people here – two years ago. But, now, there is many people here. If there are many Korean students there’s no chance to speak English. My parents are worried about when Korean students are here” (Y, interview)

15. 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)

16. Findings: Home support • 1 on own (guardians) • 3 astronaut families • 2 with both parents

17. Findings: School • Language acquisition and making ‘Canadian’ friends two main adjustment difficulties “They’re 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. I’m trying now, too, but it’s hard” (Y, interview).

18. 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

19. 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 that’s why I came here…but I couldn’t…that’s the problem.” (Y, interview)

20. 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

21. Findings: Academics • All expected to reach ‘pre-Canada’ grades immediately • Felt pressure to perform from parents • Felt pressure to ‘escape’ EAL quickly

22. Findings: Community • 5/6 actively involved in Korean/Chinese communities • They help them ‘remember who they are’ • Acculturation

23. 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)

24. 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

25. What to do? • Systemic Change • 2. Leadership • 3. Advocacy

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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 Student’s 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 ‘Ambassador’s 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

29. Counselling Process Issues with High School-Aged Newcomers • Low counsellor self-efficacy in area • Underutilization or lack of connection? • Communication barriers • Cultural stereotyping • ID’ing source of issue amongst large list of possibilities • Directive or non-directive?

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

31. Thank you very much! Michael LeBlanc Fredericton High School University of New Brunswick michael.t.leblanc@nbed.nb.ca mleblan2@unb.ca