Impact of Linguistic and Cultural Differences on Immigrant Parents of New English Language Learner Students

Due to both linguistic and cultural barriers, immigrant parents may feel excluded from participating in the education of their preschoolers. A study employing Moustaskas's qualitative phenomenological research design was conducted to examine the challenges faced by Mexican immigrant parents of preschoolers acquiring a new language and culture in the United States school system. This research focused on the experiences described by 5 Mexican immigrant parents of preschoolers. Research questions addressed participants' experiences with school faculty and staff, support provided to the participants by the local U.S. school system, and changes in the relationships between the participants and their children. Data were collected through open-ended interviews, individually revised, transcribed, and analyzed to identify emergent themes which in turn were synthesized into composite descriptions of participants' reported experiences. The findings reveal a common set of challenges which include linguistic isolation and frustration, cultural isolation, limited support and resources, and parent-child dependency. These results suggest a possible impact on parenting effectiveness and self esteem that, if properly addressed, may lead to greater effectiveness of teachers as well as parents in the education of the children. The findings of this study may be useful to school professionals, Hispanic immigrants, and the immigrant community at large because they expose the challenges faced by immigrant parents of preschoolers and could promote deeper levels of differentiation and more purposeful communication. Implications for positive social change include supporting educators' goals to strengthen parental involvement in the school and help immigrant parents to foster academic growth in their children.