Nutrition Education Taught in a New Language

Story in Brief

One-fifth of DeKalb County households speak a language other than English. In the city of Clarkston alone, over 60 languages are spoken. Nutrition Education program assistants have been able to conduct EFNEP Food Talk nutrition classes in English, Spanish, and Trigenya throughout the pandemic via Zoom. Over the course of eight weeks, participants learn about eating healthy on a budget and how to incorporate healthy nutrition practices in their everyday lives. The Food Talk program not only provides basic nutrition education to families, but it has also provides a sense of community for immigrant/non-native English speaking participants. One participant noted, “Even though the instruction was in English, our instructor was a native Eritrean. Thus, our instructor was explaining the matter in our native language (Tigrigna) and we (the students), all can speak and understand the Eritrean language, and we all were freely expressing and discussing it in our language as well."

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• Nutrition Education Taught in a New Language Creates Community