Significant Language Barriers To Social Work To Provide Proper Services
Communication comes in many ways by its nature of different spoken languages. In that case, there are significant language barriers when all does not speak the same language. It conflicts a barrier for a social worker to provide proper services. According to Engstrom, Gamble, & Min (2009, 210), “Language barriers affect many different populations”. It follows that communication was the main factor to work with clients, but language barriers can also be a circumstance that impacts a social worker to provide proper services.
The objective of a social worker was to support clients and connect them to their community to become more self-sufficient and stable along accommodating the client cultural to the support. Engstrom, Gamble, & Min (2009, …show more content…
210) argues that “Cultural competence ensures that people seeking services are understood and that their values and beliefs are incorporated into all facets of service provision, from outreach to program evaluation”. This suggests that regardless of the language barrier, in the position of a social worker is to assist and provide services at best knowledge of its client cultural.
Alternatively, to understand a client with the language barrier, it helps for a social worker to thoroughly recognize the client communication methods for it can possibly correct and benefit a social worker services to the client.
Pekerti & Thomas (2015, 2) argues that “culture influences communication behaviors in different situations”. This suggests that a client communication may be influenced its culture. If the communication method of the client culture is recognized, the social worker can approach the client assistances in a culturally appropriate manner.
Recognizing a client culture, etiquette, it is ideal to identify the client culture, communication style to benefit better communication between a social worker and the client. Pekerti & Thomas (2015, 5) argues that “Understanding dominant communication styles used in different cultures is an important step in understanding the behaviors of individuals from different cultures”. It can be seen that if the effort to perceive a client culture communication styles it can enhance the knowledge of the client culture and its communication …show more content…
approach.
Above all when working with a client a social worker shall acknowledge that language barrier does not convey one’s behavior nor the only communication concept. Body language, cultural practices, and manners implement client actions. Holmqvist & Gronroos (2012, 437) argues that “Nonverbal communication is a crucial part of all communication; regardless of the language used, consumers are influenced by the tone of voice, facial expression, and other nonverbal communication methods”. It follows that nonverbal communication may consist of a client that may not engage eye contact with the social worker. The disengagement of eye contact does not indicate a misbehavior, but to recognize the behavior that it is influenced by the client culture. On the contrary, to improve the relationship and communication between a social worker and client is for a social worker to distinguish communication methods that can benefit the client understanding. In particular, Pekerti & Thomas (2015, 190) argues that “training and/or mentoring where there are opportunities for feedback is important to ensure that adaptive behaviors are effectively appropriate and not interpreted as patronizing and/or offensive in different multicultural settings.”. In other words, a social worker may speak broken English or simple English that can possibly be at a client level knowledge of English. Simple training as such can support a better understanding between the social worker and client.
Pictographs
The importance of assuring the people with limited English proficiency have access to appropriate services has long been supported.
With the recognition to address language barrier using pictographs can improve cross-cultural communication. A pictograph is an image display that contains symbols and terms to carry out a message to explain in details of the endorsement effect. Pictograms are a visual language aim to establish the most important type of communication using visual language to transcend language barriers. Nakamura & Zeng-Treitler (2012, 535) argues that “Languages allow us to communicate with each other in a relatively effortless way because they rely on many types of conventions”. It is a language that enables the essential meaning to be understood visually at a glance, irrespective of differences of culture or language.
Pictograms are used in the Medical Health industry to improve the communication with people who speak different languages. Choi (2001, 2993) argues that “As a universal language to communicate with people speaking different languages, pictographs can be an efficient tool to improve healthcare education for this underserved population”. A pictograph is a powerful tool to use for cross-cultural communication.
The ability to have and create pictograph will enhance cross-cultural communication. Nakamura and Zeng-Trietler (2012, 549) argues that “There is a good chance that pictographs created using a combination of representational strategies may yield
higher recognition rates”. The combination of pictographs and communication will improve the language barriers in cross-cultural communication.
Social worker
With the knowledge that culture and language influence the individual’s belief systems as it relates to their health, healing, and wellbeing, social workers can be an asset in improving services. Social workers provide direct services and had become the tool to help reduce language barriers. The social worker utilizes interpreters’ services and pairs the client in their cultural community to enhance the language barriers. The social worker has the ability to provide services, custom to improve immigrants and refugees living situations. Engstrom, Gamble, & Min (2009, 209), argues that many social service agencies, “SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES find themselves working an increasingly diverse client base that often have limited English proficiency (LEP). Many social workers are faced with challenges how services are delivered, received and understood.
The changing demographics require a social worker to become more multicultural competent. Engstrom, Gamble, & Min (2009, 209) argues that “Social work students in field placements need specific training if they are to apply knowledge of cross-cultural work effectively”. Social work knowledge enhanced of ecological and systemic perspective to better understand clients within the context of their social environment.
Understanding cultural differences is an important tool when providing services to the diverse population because the sensitivity of one culture can either enhance the client self-worth or make the client feel the lack of support. The competent social worker will find ways to serve diverse clients in a manner that is expected within their diverse group. Engstrom, Gamble, & Min (2009, 219) argues that "...social work education is to give students the ability to understand and articulate various professional terms and then be able to communicate the meaning of those terms in everyday language”. Continue with social work education will enhance professional social worker to better understand and serve diversity population.
Social Work Program prepares students to become generalist Social Workers to work with people of all ethnicities and cultural background. Engstrom, Gamble, & Min (2009, 221) pointed out that “Schools of social work are in a key position to prepare social workers to deliver culturally competent service”. Social work student who are committed to strengthening community life for diverse individuals and families by utilizes a variety of intervention strategies that support and enhance community service.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Neighborhood House mission is to continue to assist the growing diverse community. The Metropolitan State University social work students and staff of Neighborhood House objective is to reduce the language barriers between the staff and clients at Neighborhood House is through the use pictographs. Pictographs can be the tool to cross-cultural communication to help immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers who are non-English speaking to gain access to resources. Therefore, social work student plans to utilize pictographs to communicate during the intake process and increase referral for other services at Neighborhood House. Through this process, Neighborhood House hopes to have this tool to decrease language barriers with cross-cultural communication.
The objective of a social worker was to support clients and connect them to their community to become more self-sufficient and stable along accommodating the client cultural to the support. Engstrom, Gamble, & Min (2009, …show more content…
210) argues that “Cultural competence ensures that people seeking services are understood and that their values and beliefs are incorporated into all facets of service provision, from outreach to program evaluation”. This suggests that regardless of the language barrier, in the position of a social worker is to assist and provide services at best knowledge of its client cultural.
Alternatively, to understand a client with the language barrier, it helps for a social worker to thoroughly recognize the client communication methods for it can possibly correct and benefit a social worker services to the client.
Pekerti & Thomas (2015, 2) argues that “culture influences communication behaviors in different situations”. This suggests that a client communication may be influenced its culture. If the communication method of the client culture is recognized, the social worker can approach the client assistances in a culturally appropriate manner.
Recognizing a client culture, etiquette, it is ideal to identify the client culture, communication style to benefit better communication between a social worker and the client. Pekerti & Thomas (2015, 5) argues that “Understanding dominant communication styles used in different cultures is an important step in understanding the behaviors of individuals from different cultures”. It can be seen that if the effort to perceive a client culture communication styles it can enhance the knowledge of the client culture and its communication …show more content…
approach.
Above all when working with a client a social worker shall acknowledge that language barrier does not convey one’s behavior nor the only communication concept. Body language, cultural practices, and manners implement client actions. Holmqvist & Gronroos (2012, 437) argues that “Nonverbal communication is a crucial part of all communication; regardless of the language used, consumers are influenced by the tone of voice, facial expression, and other nonverbal communication methods”. It follows that nonverbal communication may consist of a client that may not engage eye contact with the social worker. The disengagement of eye contact does not indicate a misbehavior, but to recognize the behavior that it is influenced by the client culture. On the contrary, to improve the relationship and communication between a social worker and client is for a social worker to distinguish communication methods that can benefit the client understanding. In particular, Pekerti & Thomas (2015, 190) argues that “training and/or mentoring where there are opportunities for feedback is important to ensure that adaptive behaviors are effectively appropriate and not interpreted as patronizing and/or offensive in different multicultural settings.”. In other words, a social worker may speak broken English or simple English that can possibly be at a client level knowledge of English. Simple training as such can support a better understanding between the social worker and client.
Pictographs
The importance of assuring the people with limited English proficiency have access to appropriate services has long been supported.
With the recognition to address language barrier using pictographs can improve cross-cultural communication. A pictograph is an image display that contains symbols and terms to carry out a message to explain in details of the endorsement effect. Pictograms are a visual language aim to establish the most important type of communication using visual language to transcend language barriers. Nakamura & Zeng-Treitler (2012, 535) argues that “Languages allow us to communicate with each other in a relatively effortless way because they rely on many types of conventions”. It is a language that enables the essential meaning to be understood visually at a glance, irrespective of differences of culture or language.
Pictograms are used in the Medical Health industry to improve the communication with people who speak different languages. Choi (2001, 2993) argues that “As a universal language to communicate with people speaking different languages, pictographs can be an efficient tool to improve healthcare education for this underserved population”. A pictograph is a powerful tool to use for cross-cultural communication.
The ability to have and create pictograph will enhance cross-cultural communication. Nakamura and Zeng-Trietler (2012, 549) argues that “There is a good chance that pictographs created using a combination of representational strategies may yield
higher recognition rates”. The combination of pictographs and communication will improve the language barriers in cross-cultural communication.
Social worker
With the knowledge that culture and language influence the individual’s belief systems as it relates to their health, healing, and wellbeing, social workers can be an asset in improving services. Social workers provide direct services and had become the tool to help reduce language barriers. The social worker utilizes interpreters’ services and pairs the client in their cultural community to enhance the language barriers. The social worker has the ability to provide services, custom to improve immigrants and refugees living situations. Engstrom, Gamble, & Min (2009, 209), argues that many social service agencies, “SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES find themselves working an increasingly diverse client base that often have limited English proficiency (LEP). Many social workers are faced with challenges how services are delivered, received and understood.
The changing demographics require a social worker to become more multicultural competent. Engstrom, Gamble, & Min (2009, 209) argues that “Social work students in field placements need specific training if they are to apply knowledge of cross-cultural work effectively”. Social work knowledge enhanced of ecological and systemic perspective to better understand clients within the context of their social environment.
Understanding cultural differences is an important tool when providing services to the diverse population because the sensitivity of one culture can either enhance the client self-worth or make the client feel the lack of support. The competent social worker will find ways to serve diverse clients in a manner that is expected within their diverse group. Engstrom, Gamble, & Min (2009, 219) argues that "...social work education is to give students the ability to understand and articulate various professional terms and then be able to communicate the meaning of those terms in everyday language”. Continue with social work education will enhance professional social worker to better understand and serve diversity population.
Social Work Program prepares students to become generalist Social Workers to work with people of all ethnicities and cultural background. Engstrom, Gamble, & Min (2009, 221) pointed out that “Schools of social work are in a key position to prepare social workers to deliver culturally competent service”. Social work student who are committed to strengthening community life for diverse individuals and families by utilizes a variety of intervention strategies that support and enhance community service.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Neighborhood House mission is to continue to assist the growing diverse community. The Metropolitan State University social work students and staff of Neighborhood House objective is to reduce the language barriers between the staff and clients at Neighborhood House is through the use pictographs. Pictographs can be the tool to cross-cultural communication to help immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers who are non-English speaking to gain access to resources. Therefore, social work student plans to utilize pictographs to communicate during the intake process and increase referral for other services at Neighborhood House. Through this process, Neighborhood House hopes to have this tool to decrease language barriers with cross-cultural communication.