External influences and their Neutralization in Second Language Acquisition: A Look at Adult Indochinese Refugees

The circumstances of the recent migration and resettlement of Indochinese refugees in the U.S. have resulted in severe stresses on this population. If not dealt with, these stresses can have a disastrous effect on ESL programs which are so essential for the refugees' adjustment to American society. It is argued that a social and support services network must be conjoined with Indochinese ESL programs to facilitate language training and overall resettlement. It is further argued that the refugees acquisition potential, in Krashen's monitor model terms, must be fed both in and out of the ESL classroom through meaningful communicative interaction, and that the survival, prevocational, and occupation‐related language goals of the refugees must be addressed if they are to remain affectively involved in ESL programs.