Are English skills crucial to social integration?
“English as a Second Language week” was held this month in Toronto, aiming to highlight the growing significance of ESL in Ontario. One of the key isssues was that of ESL and social integration, with growing numbers of immigrants coming to Ontario each year.
In this article in the Epoch Times, Sharon Rajabi, President of TESL Ontario says that immigrants need cultural as well as English language training, so that they know how to work in a new culture and what the conventions are”.
According to Rajabi, Torontonians are sensitive to immigrants’ needs. But is this true everywhere? Do all cities embrace the influx of immigrants in need of ESL training as Toronto does? Should we be doing more to implement ESL programs in the workplace and in the community, to ease social integration?
And what about the other way around? Thousands of ESL teachers every year go to live and work in non-English speaking countries. Many make an effort to embrace the culture and learn the language. But others choose to make little or no effort to integrate socially or linguistically. What do you think? Do expatriate ESL teachers have an obligation to integrate, to learn cultural conventions, to learn the language - not least so that we can understand some of the linguistic problems our students are having? Post a comment below…
December 6th, 2006 at 12:34 pm
I think it’s important to try to integrate if you go and live in another culture, whether you’re an ESL teacher or anyone else. Learning the language should be a priority - if you can communicate in a lot of different situations, you’ll get a lot more out of the experience. What’s the point of going to live in another country if all you’re going to do is surround yourself with English and hang out in expat bars?
December 8th, 2006 at 11:43 pm
How can a teacher understand the difficulties in aquiring a new language and fitting in with a new culture if some just stick to ex pat bars and dont attempt to itegrate.