Ranjit Sidhu sits with instructor

Okanagan College has a motto “transforming lives and communities” and here in Osoyoos the college offers a program which transforms lives. It’s called the English as a Second Language Settlement Assistance Program (ESLSAP). ESLSAP has two objectives which help immigrants adapt to their lives in Canada: the first, to assist eligible newcomers in improving their English language skills; and the second, to assist those learners in acquiring increased knowledge of life in Canada and Canadian civil society. ESLSAP is also offered in Keremeos, Oliver and Vernon, where all the programs are overseen by the college. In total there are forty-five ESLSAP programs in the province of British Columbia, where funding comes from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

ESLSAP is a free program intended for adult immigrants who wish to improve their English language skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking. It’s a difficult time adapting to a new country and even more difficult when for a newcomer who can’t speak the language. The adult learners in Osoyoos mostly come from India, Portugal China, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Some learners have been here for almost forty years and others have been here just a few days before they start the program. Some are beginners and others are more advanced. Some can listen to and speak English well; all they need is help reading and writing English. Some are stay at home mothers and others have their own businesses. In order to be eligible for ESLSAP a learner must be 19 or older, a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or have applied for citizenship or permanent residency.

ESLSAP recruit volunteer tutors who receive 12 hours of face-to-face and online training in how to teach English to adult learners. Each tutor is provided with English language resources and matched to an adult English learner. In order to be a tutor, you don’t have to have a university degree, nor do you have to have been a teacher. All you need are good English skills and a caring and patient manner. The tutors enjoy the interaction with our adult students and learning about their culture.

ESLSAP Osoyoos has a number of program partners which make the program possible: Destination Osoyoos, School District 53, Work Zone, Osoyoos Library, and the Town of Osoyoos (Sonora Center) which provides a space for learners and tutors to meet.

Last year British Columbia’s English as a Second Language Settlement Assistance Programs won the prestigious Grundtvig Award for Adult Learning, which was awarded in Sweden.

Should the readers have in interest in participating in this program either as a tutor or as a learner, please contact the Osoyoos ESLSAP Coordinator, Carollyne Sinclaire, at 250 495-0787.