Corrina on Teaching EAL

1 -     Tell me three things about yourself aside from being an EAL teacher.

My husband Derrick and I recently celebrated our first anniversary and last winter we went to Vietnam for our honeymoon.

I like to draw.

I’d love to have a hobby farm. I grew up on a farm and would like a version of that life again one day.

2 -     What is EAL?

EAL (English as an Additional Language) is more commonly known as ESL (English as a Second Language), but here in Manitoba we recognize that English may be the third or fourth language someone is learning.

3 -     How long have you been teaching?

Since 2000.

4 -    What ages do you work with?

I currently work with adults – age 18 and up.

5 -     Where do your students come from? How long have they been in Canada?

My students are newcomers who have been in Winnipeg for about a month. Occasionally I have a student who arrived last week – but jet lag and learning are a terrible combination. My students come from everywhere -- nearly everyone who is immigrating to Manitoba, whose first stop is Winnipeg, comes through the Entry Program where I work.  Currently I have students from India, Ukraine, Mali, Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Korea and China.  

6 -     How much English do they generally understand when they begin class?

My students have a very basic level of English when they start my class. They can greet me in English and answer basic questions about themselves or familiar topics. But we have to do a LOT of acting, drawing and repeating to communicate effectively. There is a lot of entertainment and laughter in that process.

7 -    What’s something you appreciate and admire about the students you work with?

The bravery of people to uproot and move their families across the world. The spunk of someone with virtually no formal education picking up a pencil for the first time. The humility of highly-educated people taking entry level jobs. The determination of those who arrive in this foreign, cold city ready to hit the ground running.

8 -     What’s the best part of your job?

The best part of my job is the beautiful chaos of gathering people together from every possible country, culture, religion, socio-economic status, and personality and trying to work together. I thrive in the diversity and unpredictability that every day brings. I have countless stories to tell.

9 -     What’s your least favorite part of your job?

Any teacher can tell you that the job can lead to burnout. It’s demanding to be ‘on’ all the time. I recently described my job as feeling like a 3-hour, one-woman, stand-up comedy show … and sometimes the “audience” can be pretty deadbeat (see jet lag comment in #5).

10 -  From what you can tell, what are some of the major struggles that newcomers face when coming to Canada?

The unanimous answer would probably be ‘finding a job’ and ‘learning English’. There’s more going on with cultural adaptation, changes in family roles, and more … but I think finding work is the challenging priority of most newcomers and to get that job, they need English.

11 -  What do you believe are some common misconceptions that non-newcomers have about newcomers?

It drives me crazy to see someone speaking REALLY LOUDLY to immigrants who might not speak English fluently. Like they’ll understand you better if you YELL!  Imagine someone yelling really slowly in your face in a new language you were learning. I know I’d probably avoid conversation at all costs!

12 -  From what you’ve seen and heard, how do newcomers experience Winnipeg when they first arrive?

People are amazed by the programs and services that exist to help newcomers. They say Winnipeg is quiet and not crowded. They say people are mostly helpful and friendly. Here are a few memorable quotes about some other first impressions:

“Why is everyone carrying a cup?” – someone noticed the ubiquitous coffee cups on the go and thought it very bizarre.

“The sun here is fake!” – a student who saw the sun shining brightly in winter and then went outside only to experience the bitter cold of February. One student in our program walked to school with wet hair in winter and when it froze and started whipping her in the face, she ran home and proceeded to cut the frozen parts off! I guess she didn’t realize it would thaw and thought her hair was a lost cause.  

 “It’s a MIRACLE!” – someone seeing snow for the first time with tears in his eyes. Many people think they can’t survive the cold temperatures of Winterpeg, but many agree that the snow is beautiful! I love to see how newcomers choose to stay warm – the vast number of layers they’ll wrap themselves in just to stay comfortable and cozy. One woman didn’t think a tuque was warm enough – so she wrapped an entire Winnie the Pooh blanket around her head in winter. I would always recognize her from a block away downtown.

13 -  How might Winnipeg become a more welcoming place to newcomers?

Cancel winter. No, seriously, there are many things that could change, but I think all I can say is to gain awareness… and act on that awareness. Take time to acknowledge people, be friendly, open-minded, interested and helpful.

14 -  Where did your interest in this work originate?

I think I’ve always had curiousity for people and cultures different from my own; this curiousity might have been fed by my interest in art and languages. I grew up in a very homogenous community and I couldn’t wait to set out and discover the world. My family is full of people who traveled a lot, brought new people to family gatherings, ate ethnic food when every one else was eating macaroni and cheese, and were generally curious and interested in the world. Once I started to visit other countries, I learned that it was easy for me to feel at home in many different places. I also knew that, after ruling out a potentially lonely career in graphic design, I really wanted to work with people.

15. - What’s a typical day at work like for you?

I teach a 3-hour class every morning. The Entry Program curriculum focuses on both language skills development and essential settlement information (taking the bus, map reading, names and amounts of Canadian coins, etc.). My job recently changed – last year I was teaching an afternoon EAL class at an electronics factory, but now my afternoons consist of working on some curriculum projects for the Entry Program.

16 -  How would your students describe you as a teacher?

I think my students would say I am patient, caring, and funny.

17 -  What are a few key qualities of a great EAL teacher, in your opinion?

Flexibility and patience.

18 -  What have you learned about life from your students?

I could make a pretty long list. Besides all the fun stuff I’ve learned – bits and pieces of many languages, how to cook crazy food, how to stomach that food, how to snap my fingers in the “Iraqi way”, etc. etc. etc. .. the most important lesson has been that people are more important than things.

19 -  What have you learned about yourself, by doing this work?

I’ve learned that despite being an introvert, I’m actually also a people-person. I’ve learned that the best way to get over a bad day or a personal crisis is to do something for someone else. I’ve learned that my comfort zone lies in the middle of diversity. I’ve learned that I’m lucky to be able to say I love my job.

20 -  At the end of your life, how might this work have shaped you most?

This work has made my world so much bigger, better and richer. My work has given me an enormous appreciation and love for diversity and in this world, that’s really valuable. I’ve been honoured to learn so much from each student I’ve met and I’ve learned to approach people as individuals with something unique to offer to the world.