| January 18, 2010 PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT HELPS NEWCOMERS WITH ENGLISH SKILLS CHILLIWACK – A $40,000 investment will help new immigrants and refugees in Chilliwack improve their English language skills by giving them access to free one-on-one tutoring. “We are not only helping these new residents learn a new language, we are equipping them with the necessary skills needed to settle into their new home and way of life,” says Chilliwack MLA John Les. “Moving to a new community in a new country requires a lot of adjustment,” says Chilliwack-Hope MLA Barry Penner. “With this free program, we are working to make this process easier and less stressful.” Chilliwack Learning Community Society in partnership with the University of the Fraser Valley will deliver the English as a Second Language Settlement Assistance Program (ESLSAP). The funding for the program allows for a coordinator to recruit and train volunteer tutors and match those tutors with community members who want to improve their English language skills. Tutoring is focused on the language goals of the learner and can vary from learning how to read a menu and order a meal at a local restaurant to learning sufficient language skills to function at a workplace. Learning takes place in a variety of community locations depending on the community and the learner’s preference and needs. In some communities the local public library is the meeting place, while others may meet at a coffee shop, the recreation centre or the curling rink. The ESLSAP is delivered through WelcomeBC with federal settlement funding. This year, an investment of $2 million will enable 39 service providers to deliver tutoring services in 58 regional and remote communities and their surrounding areas. Since 2007, a total of $127.6M in federal and provincial funding has been invested in ESL services for immigrants under WelcomeBC. Information on becoming an ESLSAP volunteer tutor can be found at: http://www.mytrainingbc.ca/eslsap/recruitment/ Information on WelcomeBC can be found at www.welcomebc.ca -30- | |
| © 2007 Government Caucus of British Columbia. All Rights Reserved. |