The Golden Road to Being a Canadian Citizen – Adeline Tataille-Knisely
I’m very humble and feeling blessed to be granted as a Canadian citizen. It wasn’t something that I even hoped for, but in everything God always has a plan for those who believe. Before I met my Canadian husband, I met a Canadian pastor who was willing to invest in me and supported me to
The Struggles Facing Newcomers in Schools
While many of us have a keen interest in issues facing adult newcomers in Calgary, children of immigrant parents have their own set of struggles. In the September 2015 issue of Albertaviews, an article entitled “Language Limbo – The urgent need for more ESL instruction in school” by Marcello Di Cintio, called for more attention
Child of an Immigrant; Mother of an Immigrant—Dr. Roswita Dressler
I grew up as a first generation Canadian. My parents came from Germany, met in Canada, got married and had children. Growing up, I had experiences similar to some of my ESL students’ children. I heard two languages, but was English dominant by the time I went to school. I ate different foods at home
Discussing Religion in the ESL Classroom—Dale Fisher
It’s helpful to discuss religion in our ESL classrooms because so many of our Canadian celebrations have roots in the Christian or other religious traditions. If we are to be cultural interpreters,
Emigration: Through the Eyes of a Child—Karin Kossman
Headline: Copenhagen News—December 1954 “MOTHER AND SIX CHILDREN SAY GOODBYE TO THE OLD COUNTRY” We will join my father who, for seven months, made enough money blacksmithing in the vast country of Canada, in America, for our departure from our homeland, Denmark. As an eight year old at the time—one of those six children—I
Intercultural Communication: Gestures — Dr. Roswita Dressler
Have you ever heard the saying “A smile means the same in any language”? While this statement may be true, it might be one of the few generalizations a person can make about gestures or facial expressions being universal. Gestures are given meaning by the culture in which they are used and since they have
Home Away From Home Part 2—Yaa Serwaa Somuah
One of the comments I always get from Canadians is, “What a cultural shock, eh?” Most times when I meet people and they get to know that I am a newbie, after the initial interrogations, they say those words. I immigrated from a tropical country where every day was summer. The average temperature throughout the year ranges
10 Tips For Dealing With Late ESL Students — James Edel
From the vault: this article originally ran in our May 2013 newsletter. Here are ten tips to help you deal with late students in your ESL class: Start with a bang! Use a mini-lesson or a quick comment based on the front page of the newspaper, so that if students come in late they have missed
Contrasting Countries—Adeline Tataille-Knisley
There is a huge difference between a developed country and a developing country or third world country. When you holistically look at a developed country like Canada you see: The people has access to potable water Access to education The people has access to work Access to health care Good infrastructure Then let’s take a
Small Conversation Classes — Dale Fisher
Very often Church or library based ESL classes are conversation-based. These are very easy to start, and are good for leaders who do not have a strong ESL background. Even though learners say they just want conversation, we need to talk about something. The learners often find it difficult to say what they want to
Home Away From Home Part 1—Yaa Serwaa Somuah
Note from the editor: Yaa Serwaa Somuah shares with us a part of her story about coming to Canada and how she learned to embrace her native language and culture amidst the Canadian one. It has been lightly edited for clarity, but the words are her own. Language is a medium of communication in humankind. Different languages are carriers
ESL Tutoring Tips — Randy Easthouse
I have been tutoring ESL and English composition in the Calgary area for the last six years, in addition to my contracts with CBLA and university programs. For a while now, this has been the only way to work fulltime in ESL. Having tutored high school students, university students, and corporate foreign professionals, I have
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Canadian Flag
February 15, 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the Canadian flag. To celebrate, we are sharing these facts about the Canadian flag with you!
Who’s The Boss? Language and Power in the ESL Classroom—Dr. Roswita Dressler
When sociolinguistics speak of language and power, they refer to a large area of research into how people use language in ways that give certain people, groups, languages a higher status or more privilege than other people, groups and languages.