volunteer profile - Barry and Pam

Barry

I have been volunteering in the ESL program at Bow Valley College for five years now and for the past two years with the Calgary Public Library’s "ESL Conversation Club". Although my working life was spent in the fields of transportation engineering and urban planning, I’ve had a lifelong fascination with language. I love to travel, and this has inspired me to develop some fluency in French, Spanish and Swedish, as well as a smattering of other languages. It’s also given me some insight into the linguistic challenges faced by immigrants to our country.

For me, volunteering as an ESL conversation coach and teaching assistant has been a very rewarding and fulfilling experience. The students I work with are invariably energetic and intelligent, and eager to participate fully in Canadian life. However, without fluency in English they cannot do so to their full potential. By helping them to improve their language skills, I feel that I am performing a very useful service, not only to the students, but to our society in general. And besides, I have a lot of fun doing it!

Pam

During my time as a volunteer with Calgary Public Library in the "Read with Me" and "ESL Conversation Club" programs, as well as at Bow Valley College as a classroom assistant, I have enjoyed working with ESL learners at a variety of levels. I have been able to use the skills developed during my range of prior teaching experiences to facilitate the English language development of the participants helping them to become more confident and more competent to express themselves, share their thoughts and opinions and fit into their new environment. It is rewarding to use my time in a positive way as well as being a lot of fun; I can recommend this activity to others.