Assessment of Linguistic Needs of Korean American Students in Northern New Jersey: Implications for Future Directions

In recent years, there has been a rapid increase of Asian- American students in Northern New Jersey. As an initial step toward developing a comprehensive education satisfying the linguistic and educational needs of the students, we conducted a survey to assess: (1) the linguistic needs of Korean American (a representative Asian ethnic group) students; and (2) the educational aspirations of the parents for their children. Major findings of the study were: (1) There was a strong need for an improved proficiency of the students both in English and Korean; (2) the parents needed education about the U.S. educational philosophy and system. This, of course, hinges on their acquiring a basic proficiency in English to be able to communicate with the school system; (3) there was a lack of information and understanding of the cultural and educational background of the Asian American students on the part of the teachers. To satisfy these needs, we foresee a critical need for an Asian Resource Center. Through the Center, an after-school program for students would be instituted; a parent education program would be initiated to acquaint them with the U.S. school system and also to encourage a more active participation in their children’s education. The Center would also be a depository of educational materials for the Asian American students and an information source for the teachers.