London-area Ukrainian newcomers with limited language skills are desperate to learn English so they can land jobs before short-term government aid runs out, officials say.
London-area Ukrainian newcomers with limited language skills are desperate to learn English so they can land jobs before short-term government aid runs out, officials say.
Dozens of Ukrainian families have already descended on the London area, more in the wider region, since the Russian invasion of their homeland four and a half months ago, in numbers large enough to strain the ability of some groups trying to help find host families to get the new arrivals settled in.
Learning English for those who don’t speak the language is a key must-do, as it is for all newcomers.
“Ukrainians are very goal-oriented, and they need to be because they’re not getting the same level of financial support that government-sponsored refugees are getting,” said Sheila Carson, one of two English-as-a-second language ( ESL) co-ordinators with the Thames Valley District school board.
A sudden influx of Ukrainians to the London region in late June, under the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel program, meant the board had to move quickly to set up an English class for about 40 refugees. “Everybody was scrambling to get information about settlement services and language classes,” Carson said. “And then our office got a lot more calls. There was lots of interest.”
After an in-person orientation, the students are learning English online for the month of July.
“They are very optimistic, positive, enthusiastic,” she said. “Every day (of learning English) makes a difference to them.”
About 5.8 million Ukrainians have fled the country into Europe since the Russian invasion began more than four months ago, with millions more people displaced within Ukraine, according to the United Nations.
Canada has approved the resettlement of tens of thousands of Ukrainians in this country, allowing them to live, work and study here for up to three years as temporary residents.
Students learning English through the Thames board started by learning to use the Google Classroom platform and now are working on the alphabet and literacy skills, said Jennifer Jones, the board’s other ESL co-ordinator.
Many of the students “come from real challenges,” she said, adding the class is settlement-oriented. “Whether they’re learning about Canada or improving their language skills, they’re going to find there is something for them,” she said.
Ukrainians arriving in Canada under emergency travel arrangements are eligible for a one-time payments of $3,000 per adult and $1,500 per child under 17 to cover basic needs. They also can apply for emergency assistance offering temporary financial support for basic needs and shelter in crisis situations, the Ontario government’s website states.
But these Ukrainian newcomers don’t have the same rights as those with federal status or government-assisted refugees.
“They’re getting support from federal and provincial government, but it’s short-term,” said Valerian Marochko, executive director of London’s Cross-Cultural Learner Centre. “This makes them willing to move very fast, but it’s necessary. . . to develop their skills and get a job.”
The center is responsible for assessing newcomers’ English, because the system requires their language skills to be rated against a benchmark.
Several city groups offer ESL programming, including the London District Catholic school board and the YMCA, he said.
The center also offers an informal face-to-face English language learning circle for those awaiting a class or assessment, Marochko said.
For more information, call the Cross Cultural Learning Center at 519-432-1133.