By Jennifer Tong If you live in Ontario, you probably remember the big ice storm of 2013. It was a few days before Christmas. For many, the memories included being forced to leave their homes and stay elsewhere. It was difficult, a struggle. We then had a taste of being ‘displaced persons’, forced to leave […]
Category: Newcomers, Refugees & Internationals
Sandy has been my ESL class teacher. The atmosphere in her ESL class was always joyful and harmonious. Classmates and Sandy made friends with each other. In March 2019, I was lucky to join Sandy’s Bible study classes; all of my classmates were from the ESL class. We were excited. This was the first time […]
Editor’s Note: Over the past year or so, issues of racism and discrimination have been much in the spotlight. This only helps to highlight the realities that some of our ESL students may be faced with day to day. The following is a piece written by a friend of SOCEM, an ESL teacher, about her […]
Editor’s Note: Perhaps most of us have chatted with our students about their lives under COVID-19. Seldom, though, have we seen them expressed in writing. Below are some selected writings from the students of an ESL teacher in our midst, submitted in their knowledge and with their permission. Let’s hear the voice of some in […]
A review article by Timo Posti This helpful article was written by Dr. Allyson Eamer, a sociolinguist who teaches at The University of Ontario Institute of Technology. Dr. Eamer outlines the challenges of providing accessible, suitable and practicable language instruction to migrants. She lists several reasons why some migrants do not readily benefit from language […]
Many of us work with immigrants. Are you aware of the larger context we are working in? Below is some immigration and citizenship information released by Statistics Canada as part of the 2016 Census. See full details at this site.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/annual-report-parliament-immigration-2018/report.html#introduction
By Brian Seim Early this morning, I drove through our church’s neighbourhood, praying for it. Then, I walked into Starbucks, made my order and went to find a lid for my cup. A young immigrant lady, obviously not an employee, greeted me and asked, “What are you doing today?” I greeted her. She was lonely—in […]
Immigrant Mental Health At the SOCEM Gathering in October 2011, Stephen Cheng talked about life stresses among immigrants. A Healthy Mind: Supporting Newcomers Through Stress An interesting article by Marion Chang and Stephen Cheng Outside Resources for Mental Health Services Links to many government sites
Click on the links below to visit the sites of some organizations that can help you to help newcomers. Intercultural Network Canada is dedicated to “helping you reach your intercultural world”. They offer tools, strategies, opportunities and tips at their website. A 4-page pamphlet filled with tips and principles on building meaningful relationships across cultures […]