Little by little I’m starting to see some patterns of my interests in the field, and where they intersect with what I already know and care about.
I still have absolutely no idea what I want to do when I leave here. I may not want to teach ESL at all. But there is overlap between this field and my past careers. my strongest callings are to the things that have mattered to me in the past, and starting to see some ways they might connect to the future in this or a related field:
- Oral history, storytelling, folklore
- Older adult education
Genevieve led to me to the CLESE site (http://www.clese.org): The Coalition of Limited English Speaking Elderly.
- Illustrated transcript of a participatory-approach oriented video (eviction notice, drunk friend, phone bill, lost wallet, lonely neighbor)
- Suggestions for classroom techniques for older immigrant learners
One facet of their work is with depression in elderly immigrants (I think in the Chicago area). From their site:
The Coalition of Limited English Speaking Elderly (CLESE), in collaboration with White Crane Wellness Center and six community-based ethnic organizations, addressed depression in ethnic elderly in four language/culture communities: Chinese, Korean, Polish and Spanish.
Various studies indicate that the prevalence of depression is higher among immigrant, refugee and migrant elderly than in the mainstream population, but there is a lack of understanding and acceptance of depression as a treatable illness in ethnic communities. Misconceptions and the stigma of mental illness prevent depression from being identified and treated.
- A curriculum for older, depressed refugees.