Building language skills for career success
Credit to Author: Baisakhi Roy| Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2024 12:46:06 +0000
Investing in developing language skills opens up more job opportunities and facilitates successful socialization and integration for newcomers in Canada.
When Liliia Shvets immigrated to Canada from Ukraine in 2022, she quickly realized that improving her language skills was crucial for establishing her career in Canada. She enrolled in the government-funded Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program offered by Newcomer Women’s Services (NEW), a settlement agency in Toronto.
Liliia Shvets
“My course provided a lot of useful information, and the teachers understood that most newcomers are already under stress, so there was no additional pressure,” she recalls. “During each session, we covered various topics, including participating in mock job interviews. We learned how to effectively showcase our skills to potential employers and gained valuable insights into Canadian culture, resume writing, and interview techniques, among other topics.”
Shvets believes this knowledge is indispensable for job seekers. “I consider this essential knowledge that significantly eases the job search process for newcomers,” says Shvets, who now works as a retail business manager in the postal industry.
Newcomers like Shvets typically use the CLB Online Self-Assessment (CLBOSA), a free tool that helps assess English proficiency based on the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB). Those who have taken the IELTS or CELPIP tests as part of their immigration application can convert their scores to CLB levels to determine their proficiency and then enroll in LINC or English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to improve their language skills. Eligibility criteria include being a permanent resident, convention refugee, or a person with a pending PR status application. Temporary residents or Canadian citizens are not eligible for LINC programs, but settlement agencies can assist newcomers with the enrollment process.
Effat Ghassemi
“Learning a language goes beyond being part of the settlement process,” says Effat Ghassemi, executive director at Newcomer Centre of Peel (NCP), a settlement agency whose Enhanced Language Training (ELT) program helps refugees to acquire and sustain employment in Canada.
“I think it’s more about integrating into the Canadian fabric. You learn how to talk, to walk because mastery in a language gives you confidence, you learn how to ask questions, how to present yourself, how to treat people, how to solve problems – all these nuances of life are what our students learn and it is a big leap for them,” says Ghassemi.
NCP’s Enhanced Language Training (ELT) program specifically supports refugees in acquiring and maintaining employment in Canada. The program includes coaching in job search techniques, networking, business communication, interview preparation, and Canadian workplace culture, culminating in placement opportunities for program graduates.
The bilingual advantage
Being bilingual offers significant advantages in government positions, trades, regulated industries, and the private sector. While English is widely spoken across most provinces and territories in Canada, proficiency in French is particularly beneficial in Quebec, as well as in parts of Ontario, New Brunswick, and Manitoba where French is also prevalent.
Gautam Vishwanathan
Before immigrating to Canada, Gautam Vishwanathan, originally from India and a former media professional in Oman, recognized the value of French language proficiency in enhancing his career prospects. “I chose to learn French for several reasons: my love for languages, its potential impact on integration, and the career opportunities it would unlock,” he explains.
Vishwanathan enrolled in free French language courses through CLIC (Cours de Langue pour les Immigrants au Canada), the French equivalent of LINC. He completed Level 7 with the Toronto Catholic School Board and is currently pursuing Level 8 classes.
“I can already see how learning French has been an advantage. I write articles in both English and French and have the edge in job interviews when it comes to being bilingual,” he says.
Vishwanathan now works as a bilingual content manager at a media company in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Tapping into available networks
Shvets credits her language classes not only with improving her English but also with providing a supportive community during her transition to life in Canada. Faced with all the challenges of newcomer life, Shvets felt her mental health was deteriorating. “I got out of it with the help of language courses, because I found people who gave me the necessary support and knowledge about the new country, how everything works here, and of course with their help I improved my English,” she shares.
Vishwanathan encourages newcomers to actively network and practice language skills whenever possible. “I make it a point to regularly read books and watch films in French I am a big fan of both Tintin and Asterix and have made it a point to read both of them in their original French,” he says. ““On Netflix, there are many, many French-Canadian language shows that I watch: I recently finished watching a show called 19-2, which covers Montreal’s metropolitan police.”
He advises immigrants to seize every opportunity to practice the language, even in everyday scenarios. “Where possible, I try to communicate with my bilingual colleagues in French – it helps both of us, because it’s not always easy to practice French in a mainly English-speaking city like Toronto. When I go to a supermarket, I make it a point to use the self-checkout counter in French. It is a small step, but that is how I test my real-world applications of learning French.” he adds.
Investing in language skills and actively engaging with language learning opportunities and communities can help newcomers enhance their career prospects and integrate more effectively into Canadian society.
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