ESL Class

Tonight I taught my first ESL class in my new role as a ward missionary. Four students are currently attending three of whom are Chinese. They come each week for conversation and the opportunity to practise their English skills in a safe environment. Tonight our lesson was on movies and television. Each new word they heard, they would repeat and then write it down trying to commit it to memory. Research suggests that non-native speaking students must hear or see the word 12 times before they own it. I admired their perserverance and their vulnerability as they try to integrate into Canadian society.

Learning a new language often eclipses your own personality because of the complexities of the target language. Your sense of humor often based on irony, puns and context is now at the mercy of a limited vocabulary. Despite mastering the language and being able to express one's ideas, the next hurdle relies on native speakers listening long with patience and without treating you like you are two years old or deaf. Why do people do that? As if raising their voice or talking in stuccoto is going to help the "foreigner" understand your message better! Or they will furrow their brow trying to decipher what you are saying through your thick accent. Prononciation probably is the hardest aspect for a non-native speaker. The intonation placed on the wrong syllable can create some challenges for comprehension.

This is going to be such a wonderful adventure which allows me to be creative in determining how best to reach reading, writing, listening and speaking objectives. Tonight I showed a small clip of Corner Gas, served popcorn that didn't come out of microwave and red licorice. They were polite with this latter sweet but did not have seconds. I admired their willingness to try new foods and allow themselves the adventure of a new culture.