Before coming to the US, Quyen worked as a restaurant and jewelry store operator in Vietnam for 10 years. She was not working when interviewed in 2003 and was not actively looking for work.

For 2004, at the time of her interview she was also unemployed but was looking for work. Here, we see how language learning and work are closely tied together form many adult immigrant-learners. In her interview from July 2004, Quyen told us that she wanted to work and because she liked cooking, she applied to and got a job at a Vietnamese restaurant. However, because everyone there spoke Vietnamese, she decided to quit the job because she felt she would not improve her English with such a job.

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In class, a month earlier (June 29), she told her classmate of another reason that may have prompted her to leave her job. The job was stressful to her and she needed medication from the doctor (Click to View) (Requires Internet Explorer):

In early 2006, Quyen reported that she was employed full time as a beautician where she conversed with customers using her business and English language skills.