Task 2A: Challenges and positive experiences of minorities in English-speaking countries

Introduction

Task 2A asks you to create a text in which you discuss the challenges and positive experiences that people who are in a minority in English-speaking countries may encounter. In your text, you may refer to the preparation material and/or a film or literary text you have studied.

In what follows, we will first outline the challenges and positive experiences of people who are in a minority in English-speaking countries that you can find in the preparation material. We will then recommend a few literary texts that deal with this topic.

Challenges

Text 1 mentions that employers should “implement measures to reduce the risk of bullying and harassment” in the workplace. This makes us think that minorities in English-speaking countries might be targets of bullying. Perhaps they might be bullied because they don’t know the English language or simply because they are different and belong to a minority.

Text 2 points towards the language barrier challenges. The text focuses on workers of different nationalities in the manufacturing industry in an English-speaking country. The text suggests that many of these foreign employees might struggle with the English language: " ‘I started to see a large number of immigrants coming into jobs and not having the English language skills to be successful’…" (ll. 13-15)

The text offers a few solutions to this challenge. One solution is to use “pictures and simplified instructions” (l. 4) to help employees understand their job and communicate with their supervisors. The other solution is to provide foreign employees with basic English-language training necessary for their job. 

Text 3 suggests that certain minorities in English-speaking country Australia might be discriminated against on the job market. This is suggested by the fact that only 30% of companies hire Aboriginals and only 26% hire people with disabilities.

In other words, n...