Education/training
"Language is culture," TESL president saysCelebrating ESL instructorsFor new Canadians like Nasrin Ahmed, taking English as a Second Language (ESL) courses is about much more than learning a new language. It's also about understanding the culture and being prepared for -- and feeling confident about -- finding a job. |
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 [ 2007-11-21 ] |
(Comstock)
"I have been actively looking for a job and I find ESL is very effective to get me involved in the conversation during (my) job search," Ahmed says. "This course is giving us the opportunity to interact with one another and understand Canadian English, society and culture."
Each year, Ontario welcomes 140,000 immigrants, reports Sharon Rajabi, president of Teachers of ESL (TESL) Ontario. About 100,000 of those take ESL lessons through the association. "Because more people are aware of TESL Ontario, more people are taking lessons," Rajabi says. "For adults, it directly ties to their settlement. Language is culture. Now matter how educated you are, you need to understand the culture to feel settled."
TESL Ontario has offered lessons to newcomers since the 1960s, but content has changed dramatically in response to the evolving needs of immigrants. "It's not just about teaching grammar and content," Rajabi says.
"DRIVES THE ECONOMY"
Some immigrants, for example, need to learn career-related terminology, while others are preparing to attend university. "ESL is important because it ties immigrants to settlement, which ties them to work, which drives the economy," Rajabi says.
Rajabi was an ESL instructor when Canada welcomed an influx of immigrants from Rwanda and Somali. "I heard horrendous stories about what they left behind to build a future here. Many (of the students) have come back to share their success stories."
Helping new Canadians learn English is a steppingstone to employment, notes Renate Tilson, executive director of TESL Ontario. "Coming to Canada with no knowledge or limited knowledge of the English language can be an isolating experience for an immigrant, refugee or international student. We hope that ESL Week helps Canadians understand the important role of ESL education to our society."
Many TESL Ontario affiliates have organized activities, including writing and poster contests, to celebrate the week. The 35th Annual TESL Ontario Conference takes place in Toronto from November 22-24. The conference, Making Connections, is the largest convention of its kind in Canada and features a variety of workshops and panel discussions. For more information, visit www.teslontario.org.
"This is also an opportunity to acknowledge our ESL instructors and the role they play in the lives of new Canadians," Tilson says. "An ESL instructor assists these newcomers with not only learning language skills, but also with the transition into Canadian society by providing support and counselling, and acting as cultural interpreters."
ESL WEEK
English as a Second Language (ESL) education for new Canadians is being celebrated across Ontario during ESL Week from November 18-24. The week is sponsored by Teachers of ESL Ontario, the association and certifying body for non-credit adult ESL instructors in Ontario.
It represents more than 3,900 ESL teachers in elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, private schools, and Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) and ESL sites across the province. Visit www.teslontario.org.
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