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Newcomers find community through classes

ESL program celebrates first year with many success stories
Kyle Wells

After a year of operation the Learning Centre’s English Second Language Settlement Assistance Program has about 30 students and a handful of tutors all working toward the goal of helping those new to Powell River and new to English find their way.

The program is run by Powell River Employment Program (PREP) Society out of the Learning Centre on Marine Avenue. Funding for the program comes from the federal government and from BC’s ministry of jobs, tourism and innovation, immigration integration branch. All of the classes offered are free for students.

According to organizers and tutors many people are not aware there is a need in the community for English classes or that there are many immigrants in Powell River. Currently, students in the program come from China, Laos, Vietnam, India, Germany, Mexico, Hungary, Thailand and other countries from around the world.

“We have several students who would love to study every day,” said coordinator Kelli Henderson. “They’re very motivated, they have very immediate and important goals, either to get a job at all or to get a better job.”

Students learn English one-on-one with tutors as well as in group classes. The one-on-one lessons give a real opportunity for students to focus on their specific needs while the group classes bring about the sense of community that both students and tutors rave about. The classes focus on grammar as well as conversational English and give the students an opportunity to connect with one another.

Participants in the program have to be citizens of Canada, refugees or permanent residents, or in the process of acquiring one of these statuses. Most of the participants are women, something Henderson guesses might be because often the husbands are working and aren’t available for class or because perhaps the men aren’t as willing to seek help.

Tutors help the students fill out forms related to their citizenship applications or  teach them job-related programs such as Food Safe. Often tutors will even accompany students on tasks outside of the classroom, such as going with them to Powell River Recreation Complex to help them sign up for a membership or to the grocery store to help them identify products.

“Kind of simple things to us,” said Henderson, “but to people who don’t read very well or have the confidence to speak, if they have somebody standing beside them...it’s a huge deal.”

Marcy Chen moved to Powell River from China, where she was a trained accountant working in a hospital. She now works at a Chinese food counter in a local grocery store. She said she is grateful for her work here and the chance it gives her to practice her English but that her goal is to return to working in health services. Improving her English is one of the key steps to achieving that goal, she said.

“I feel the program is perfect for me and for us, for all the students,” said Chen. “I think for the new immigrant, they don’t know about this city and sometimes they don’t know what should they do...We meet each other here...so we can encourage each other and we can improve our English better together.”

Bounpanh Phenphonsy moved to Canada from Thailand in 2006. Initially she took English classes but then became too busy with work to keep them up. Phenphonsy owns a Vietnamese restaurant in Powell River and has recently returned to learning English through the program at the Learning Centre. She said that no matter how busy or tired she is she now makes the effort to go, both because she is determined to improve her English and because her classes are so much fun.

“I’m happy. I have fun,” said Phenphonsy. “Sometimes I tell Kelli, ‘I thank you.’ I’m crying, but I’m not sad. I’m happy.”

Tutor Barbra Ralston, a retired teacher, is an import to Powell River too, having moved here two years ago. She said she started tutoring with the program out of a desire to do some volunteer work. Now she feels like a celebrity every time she bumps into one of her students in the community because of the affection they show her.

“They’re so grateful and they’re so committed. What we take for granted here in our country, they do not,” said Ralston. “It’s not a hardship to come, it’s a pleasure to come...It’s fun teaching adults who are really so committed and determined to do better.”

On Mondays the program runs a parents’ group at Family Place in Powell River Town Centre Mall which allows immigrant parents without daycare to get together, let their children play, and work with tutors on their English. Many of these parents want to improve their English so they can talk to their children’s teachers and other parents once their children enter school.

Lessons are completely based around a student’s needs. Tutors are able to help people who know virtually no English and people who just need to practice through conversation.

Henderson said that becoming a tutor is a great opportunity for anyone who likes to meet new people or is interested in other cultures. No teaching experience is necessary to become a tutor and all the training is free. Patience is an important trait when teaching a language and a genuine sense of caring for the students will make the job rewarding. Tutors are by no means required to help pupils outside of the classroom, but some choose to.

“Anybody who comes in, student or tutor, they’re really welcomed,” said Henderson. “It’s a really warm and friendly environment.”

Training to become a tutor takes 12 hours and is broken up into four three-hour sessions. Tutors are always needed.

Anyone interested in becoming a tutor can contact Henderson at the Learning Centre at 604.485.2004 or by email at eslsap@prepsociety.org.