Language minority populations in English dominant countries have proven to be particularly vulnerable to HIV infection, in part, because of their limited access to mainstream, English language AIDS education programs. This problem has been acknowledged by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in its call to develop AIDS education programs for people for whom English is not their primary language (Guidelines for Effective School Health Education to Prevent the Spread of AIDS, 1988), and by the international Teachers of English as a Second or Other Language (TESOL) in its AIDS Education Resolution (1992). The present curriculum speaks specifically to this need.
This curriculum utilizes insights and materials developed in response to the recent research and experiences of AIDS educators working with English dominant students. It is very much indebted to the work of these health professionals, as well to the efforts of the growing number of English as a Second Language (ESL) colleagues working to bring AIDS education into the classrooms and communities of language minority populations.
In particular I want to acknowledge indebtedness to the work in health education program development and assessment of Peggy Brick, Douglas Kirby, and R.P. Barth.
Many ESL educators working with TESOL have helped to develop awareness of the need to bring AIDS education to ESL learners throughout the world. They include the late Scott Enright, John Dryer, Barbara Martinez, Jean Handscombe, Mary Lou McCloskey, Ernest Hall, Rafael Arias, Susan Bayley and Elizabeth England.
Literally dozens of colleagues working at Hostos Community College of the City University of New York to integrate AIDS education into the ESL instructional program have, through their experiences and insights, contributed to the development of this curriculum. The research of my colleague, Francis Singh, who rediscovered the historical precedents for the relationship between ESL instruction and health education, has been very helpful in establishing the pedagogic legitimacy of AIDS education work with current ESL learners. I also want to thank Hostos College President, Isaura Santiago Santiago, and the Dean of Academic Affairs, Carlos Acevedo for their ongoing support of this work, Dr. Marcos Charles for his review of the curriculum draft, and the City University of New York and the union of CUNY faculty and staff, the Professional Staff Congress (AFT), for the research grant that hastened completion of the project.
Debbie Doherty of the National AIDS Clearinghouse of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) helped put together the list of U.S. and international resources included in the Appendix. Pomeroy Sinnock of the CDC has provided continued support for this work, directing us to materials and resources early on, and, more recently, reviewing the accuracy of the final draft of the text.
Alice Brover Andrews's toil and critical intelligence given to this project in her capacity as research assistant have been crucial to its progress at every turn--long after the meager funding for her work was exhausted. Melanie Roher’s drawings and design contribute significantly to rendering a mass of otherwise daunting text inviting and, we hope, useful.
H.L.
Bronx, N.Y.,
June, 2001