| Abstrakt: |
A community college counselor is first and foremost a student advocate, who meets as often as needed with students to assist them in achieving their educational goals. Students whose cultural backgrounds are different from the mainstream culture will face adverse situations when confronted with a new cultural environment that does not validate their experiences or appreciate their social behavior. Coming from linguistic backgrounds in languages very much different from English, many foreign-born students, especially those who have recently arrived, experience one of the most difficult stages of the acculturation process. They need to acquire English, and acquire it fast. Community colleges should provide separate new students' orientation sessions to ESL students to create a pressure-free atmosphere. In career counseling, counselors need to help immigrant and refugee students become aware of the nature of the American job market. Counselors need to encourage foreign-born students to strive hard to improve their English communication skills. Finally, counselors should encourage foreign-born students to enroll in study skills classes to familiarize themselves with American teaching and learning styles. |
