Blending Health Literacy With an English as a Second Language Curriculum: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

About 21% of the U.S. population ages 5 and older speaks a language other than English at home, and many of them cannot communicate in English fluently. A possible intervention to improve health literacy for people with limited English proficiency is the use of an English as a second language curriculum. The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the characteristics (e.g., theoretical framework, developing processes, classroom activities, goals and topics) and effectiveness of English as a second language health literacy curricula that are currently available in English-dominant countries. We searched the online databases of ERIC, Sage, Springer, PubMed, Medline, and Scopus, identifying 7 curricula within 18 published reports. We synthesize the strengths and weaknesses of the reviewed curricula and provide recommendations for improving future health literacy interventions and research.

Notes

¹Their curriculum does not have a specific name.