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Dear <<First Name>>,
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! There's snow on the ground, Christmas lights are being strung up around the community and many families already have their tree up. Now that Thanksgiving and Remembrance Day have passed, our thoughts naturally turn toward the season of giving. Stores are playing carols and the malls are getting busier. We pray that you will be blessed as you go about your preparations for the season.
As you think about gift giving this year, please consider a donation to CESLM. We are facing several challenges in the upcoming year and funds are needed. We appreciate your consideration!
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Spoken Grammar
By Dr. Roswita Dressler
 “Full sentences, please”. Have you ever been in a language class where the teacher reminded students to speak in full sentences? Have you ever thought about how odd that request actually is? I recently went to a workshop for English as a Second Language teachers where the presenter, Jane Willis, reminded us that spontaneous speech is very unlike written texts. Even within spoken speech there are differences that we appreciate when we take a good look at what people actually say vs what we think they say when they speak. ... Read More |
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Syrian Refugees: How Can We Help?
The Syrian refugee crisis has been prevalent in the media lately, along with Canada's tremendous response. Our new Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has committed to providing shelter for 25,000 refugees who will arrive in Canada in the coming months. Of these, approximately 2,300 will make Calgary their new home*. Last week, sixteen refugees arrived, reuniting with family they have not seen in years. We are fortunate to live in a great country/province/city, dedicated to helping newcomers of all kinds. The Alberta government has also recently earmarked an extra one million dollars to assist our new neighbours.
On November 19th, a public forum was held about the coming refugees, about 400 people attended. The following day, Mayor Naheed Nenshi was interviewed by Macleans magazine** and had this to say about the event: "But today I had a meeting this morning where we had a community forum on refugees. And I was a little bit nervous walking in because it was an open invitation, anybody could come, and I thought there might be some angry people or people with a lot of very difficult questions. And who was there were churches and synagogues and temples and mosques and grandmothers and volunteers and people from across the community, who were just asking the same question, which is by the way still by far the most common question I get, how can I help?"
So, how can we help? CBC Calgary recently offered some great tips*** to get you started, we've paraphrased them below:
- Knit warm clothes for newcomers. Many are unaccustomed to our winters.
- Donate clothes, furniture and bedding. You can drop them off at service organizations that support all Calgarians, such as the Women in Need Society, Neighbourlink, The Salvation Army, Value Village and Project Warmth.
- If you'd rather donate cash, the Federal government has a Syria Emergency Relief Fund and the Alberta government has a program to help Syrian refugees. The Federal government also has a list on their website of Canadian charities and local organizations who support newcomers.
- You can also volunteer to help newcomers who don't speak English to learn the language. We offer excellent training programs for volunteers in your church or community who are working with newcomers, including Reaching Out with English and Intercultural Communication workshops. Find out more on our website or contact Bev at 403-999-3641. Other options include giving rides to refugees, taking them to the church or mosque, taking them shopping or offering to babysit. Several groups are coordinating volunteer efforts including: CCIS, Centre for Newcomers, CIWA, Immigrant Services Calgary, Syrian Refugee Support Group.
- Help them find housing. While the rental market has eased up in the past few months, it's still a tight market in Calgary.
- Consider sponsoring a refugee. Check out the Federal governments Sponsoring Syrian Refugees page for more information. The Canadian Baptists of Western Canada also have information on their website.
- Most importantly, help them feel welcome in our city.
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CESLM Needs Your Support
 It is a joy to put down on paper for you both a story and a call for help. Let me tell you about Joby*. Joby immigrated to Canada from Syria one year ago. Since then, he has been desperately trying to improve his writing ability so he can pass an important test that he has so far failed. Passing would allow him to do a similar job that he did back home—being a lead ultra-sound technician.
Joby moved from Calgary to Edmonton in July after accepting an entry level position for which he is over-qualified. Joby, his wife and three kids assure me they are adjusting well, but a better job would bring additional money that would help them bring more of their family over from Syria.
He wishes there were more convenient church-based ESL programs nearby, but with a schedule that sees him out the door at 7:00am and not back until 8:30pm, he is left with little time. That’s where the body of Christ and Cooperative volunteers come in. Joby is grateful for the compassion of a Christian friend who is willing to help him work on his writing, even late in the evenings.
Reaching out to Syrian newcomers is just one of the ways that you can make a difference in the life of a newcomer. I regularly see and hear stories of church volunteers in Calgary carrying a student’s burden that extra mile, so the student can become all that God has made them to be. Today, I would like to ask you, as a volunteer or friend of the Cooperative, if you would pray for us. We also ask if you would consider supporting us financially.
- Cooperative ESL Ministries is active in supporting 55 churches in Calgary with English language training programs for newcomers.
- We advocate for refugees, newcomers and their families.
- We also provide training workshops for church volunteers who want to show love to refugees and newcomers in better and more practical ways, by learning how to work with newcomers and develop a better understanding of the cultures our newcomers come from.
Please generously support the work of Cooperative ESL Ministries with your tax-deductible gift, as we continue to encourage love for immigrant-neighbours like Joby, and help newcomers get English language training so they can reach their goals and achieve their dreams. Thank you in advance for your support.
Sincerely,
James Edel (Vice-president of CESLM)
Your one-time or monthly gift is greatly appreciated.
* Not his real name. It has been changed to protect his identity.
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Online Training for ELL Instructors Through Rural Routes
Rural Routes is a provincially supported program whose main purpose is to increase the capacity of rural communities to meet ELL needs. Rural Routes recently rolled out a set of online courses for ELL instructors and tutors. The good news is that these free courses are now available to urban participants.
Between November 2015 and June 2016, ESL Rural Routes will be offering a selection of online workshops. This provides a broader range of training than might be offered in a particular location. Our introductory ESL Tutor Training workshop will be offered once a month to ensure that new tutors receive training in a timely manner.
Each workshop is 2.5 hours and will be offered on a rotating schedule. Go to the Rural Routes Events page to register.
Checkout this detailed list of upcoming Rural Routes Online workshops
Space is limited, so sign up today!
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