When people think about English as a Second Language (ESL), we often don’t consider the full implications of needing to get proper language training. It’s often a lot more serious than just being able to participate in everyday conversation.
Consider that many immigrants may want to qualify for colleges or training programs. For example, how do you pass an entrance exam for a science program, when you don’t know science vocabulary in the English language?
Thankfully, there are some wonderful programs out there that help to bridge the gap. For example, there is the wonderful P.A.L.S program (Project Adult Literacy Society) – in Edmonton, P.A.L.S. connects volunteer tutors with those who need ESL assistance.
But this type of program is highly dependent on volunteers – so if you can help out, please consider donating a couple of hours of your time here and there. It certainly is for a great cause.
