If you come down to Grace on any given Monday morning, you will find a team of dedicated volunteer English teachers setting up classrooms, preparing lessons that help students practice conversational English and settle in Canada, and greeting students whose English ranges from Beginner to Intermediate to Advanced. This fall, the English Language Learners (ELL) Program started up again. Julie Clayton, who started the program at Grace, shares why she does, how the program impacts Grace, the community, the volunteers and the students, and a little bit about what it’s like to face life in a new country.
Questions answered by Julie Clayton, the English Language Learners Coordinator
1.) WHY DO I RUN THE ELL PROGRAM AT GRACE?
The salary is so generous and the benefits can’t be matched….. No, seriously, while I keep telling Jake to add another zero to my salary, the reality is the benefits I gain from working in the program are immeasurable. The ELL program gives me an opportunity to give back to the Church and the Community. It has also allowed me to grow and appreciate other cultures, religions and communities as well as work with some awesome staff members and members of the congregation of Grace. Not to mention the wonderful volunteer teachers who have or have not any connection to the Church other than ELL.
2.) WHAT IMPACT DOES THE PROGRAM HAVE AT GRACE FOR VOLUNTEERS, STUDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY?
I think I can speak for our volunteer teachers in saying there is a real sense of satisfaction in helping Newcomers adjust to their new surroundings and culture. We offer a very relaxed atmosphere where conversation is encouraged in a non-threatening environment. There is a great deal of satisfaction when you watch a student progress and ultimately have to say good-bye so they can pursue a degree/certificate at a more conventional Educational Institue that will offer them the accreditation they need to secure employment and/or the confidence to comfortably become part of their new community.
3.) HOW DID YOU GET INTO ELL?
Fourteen years ago, at the age of 53, I graduated from the Masters of Teaching program after just finishing an honours degree in English and a Women Studies degree. I finished my teaching degree teaching for the last 6 months in Nairobi, Kenya. When I returned to Calgary, job prospects were few and far between. After several years of tutoring English Language Arts with high school students, I was asked if I would consider co-ordinating the ELL Program at Grace. It was with some reluctance, at first, that I agreed to give it a whirl. It wasn’t many weeks after joining the program I knew it was a great fit for me. I enjoy many things about being a member of Grace, however in all honesty, warming a pew on Sundays I have found difficult. ELL gives me an opportunity to be a vibrant part of the Church community doing what I love: teaching, managing and socially interacting. I have never looked back.
4.) I HAVE WORKED AND TRAVELLED AROUND THE WORLD. WHAT HAS MY EXPERIENCE TAUGHT ME ABOUT SETTLING INTO A NEW COUNTRY AND CULTURE?
Perhaps the hardest lesson to learn is to park your cultural baggage and be open minded to new and different ways of approaching things that at home we automatically take for granted. In Nairobi I learned very quickly that without a “driver” your ability to get around the city is quite limited. Unlike in Calgary where it is nothing to walk to the shops after dark, in Nairobi few foreign women would risk going out at night without a driver. Many of the bus drivers won’t pick up or allow a Mzungu (Caucasian person) on the bus. To obtain a driver is a matter of negotiation. Negotiation is a huge part of a developing country, such as Kenya in doing business. As a foreigner, you must be prepared to pay more than a native Kenyan, but how much is too much? It is a learned art.
Be accepting of another way of life other than your own. Complaining about how things differ from home only hinders and does not help. I think all countries and their people are proud of their country and its people’s accomplishments. Arriving as an “outsider” to question or dismiss their ways and means only serves to alienate. Enjoy what the country has to offer and accept the things you cannot change.
5.) HOW CAN GRACE WELCOME STUDENTS AND PROMOTE BELONGING, ENGAGEMENT, COMPASSION, COMMUNITY AND SERVICE?
I think it is incumbent on teachers, staff, volunteers and the community to appreciate and try to understand the difference in cultures that each student possesses and be compassionate and understanding of their beliefs and values. We all come with cultural baggage. It is what makes us who we are. Be sensitive when introducing our cultural norms.
ELL is not all about language, it is a place for students to learn and test out new and different situations they have experienced. I had a Brazilian student pull me aside and explain that she and her family were invited to lunch by a family at her church and she was very apprehensive. When questioned why, she said she needed to know; should she arrive on time? What should she bring? What is a hostess gift? How long should she stay? When is a good time to leave? Seems pretty straight forward to many of us, but it is not, Language is not their only barrier. There are many other things at play that as a Canadian we must appreciate that it is very new to students.
Also, many students are anxious to volunteer and help. Any opportunities for them to volunteer at Grace is always well received and appreciated. It gives them an opportunity to use their language skills and be involved in a community incentive.
6.) IF PEOPLE WANT TO VOLUNTEER TO TEACH ELL, OR COME AS A SPECIAL GUEST WHAT SHOULD THEY DO?
If someone is interested in volunteering as a teacher or a teacher’s assistant, I recommend they come and observe and participate in conversations with the students. Visit www.GraceChurchCalgary.com/englishclass/ to learn more! In March, Grace looks at how Joan Embleton is helping newcomers navigate Canadian culture, find employment, and build professional pathways.
