Second language learning

Sharon McLeay

Times Contributor

 

A small crowd of women gathered to take their Canadian Language Benchmark Assessment testing, held at the Lambert Centre on June 14. 

The testing assesses their language skills allowing facilitators to fit them with an appropriate LINC home study program to improve their skills.

“In 2011, approximately six per cent, or 770 of Strathmore’s 12,275 residents spoke a mother tongue other than English or French. The top four non-official mother tongue languages were Tagalog, German, Spanish and Dutch,” said Teri McKinnon, Regional Lead for Bow Valley College Education and Development Department.

Tagalog is the first language spoken by a quarter of the people in the Philippines, and second language to most others.

She said they conducted a study called ‘A chance for a better life’ in 2012 to determine the needs in this area for language development. They found immigrant workers in rural Alberta needed English language training and settlement support. Study participants said the Filipino community is growing in Strathmore, and more information about learning programs would help them better integrate into the Strathmore community. 

The government has been encouraging new immigrants to enter the workforce as it expects employers will be short 77,000 employees in the next 10 years. While most immigrants settle in larger communities centered around people who are speaking their native tongue at home, there are things that smaller communities can do to encourage people to live here.

The Canadian Government has put out a toolbox for community planners to assess their community assets, predict their community needs and develop ways to be attractive to settling immigrant populations (www.eae.alberta.ca/labour-and-immigration/overview-of-immigration). 

Some of the ideas in the text are to: make the community family friendly for immigrant families; have business or employment opportunities and support; have transportation assistance available so they can reach jobs or major employment and health care centres; have good, affordable housing available; improve community resources like language training and library materials in their own language; conduct cross cultural programs, so residents more readily accept and understand different cultures.

McKinnon has been involved in many interagency and cooperative efforts of community assessment and development. She is a valuable contact for communities, open to improving their attraction to new immigrant settlement.

For more information on any available programs call Teri McKinnon (403) 462-2550 or e-mail her (tkmckinnon@bowvalleycollege.ca), or for Benchmark testing and LINC home study contact Cari-Ann Roberts ELL Team Lead  (403) 923-8259 or e-mail her (crobers@bowvalleycollege.ca).