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Michael Dinning - Vice President, Student Affairs
My name is Mike Dinning and I'm Vice President of Student Affairs
here at Conestoga College.
As our community continues to grow, we are welcoming increasing numbers
of international and immigrant students to the college.
These newcomers to Canada often face many special challenges.
In this four-part video, you are going to hear some of
the faculty and students talk about their intercultural experiences at the college.
We hope watching "New World" provides all of us with
a better understanding of the journey we are taking together.
PART ONE: THE JOURNEY
[Saad Mohammed Alrazouq - International Student ]
When I arrived here, I began looking, then I heard that
Conestoga had the best program of ESL.
[Leanne Chen - International Student] My parents went to an agency and asked,
you know um, which school was good in Canada, right?
And then, the agency told us "Conestoga College."
[Justin Zihindula - Convention Refuge] I had difficulty because
by the time I was--
during my stay in Uganda, I lost my papers and it was hard
to be accepted into the country I mean, in this college.
So I had to go through a different process to be able to get papers
to allow me to be in this school.
[Karim Fathi - Landed Immigrant] When I came here and I learned that
there was a program here,
I applied for it and I talked to Yuri, Dr. Kagalovsky.
He was the coordinator of the program at the time, so he encouraged me
and I just applied and I got in.
Did you have any intercultural experiences before coming to Conestoga?
[Leanne Chen - International Student] The city I was living in,
we have many people from different cities.
You know, China is a big country and many people are from different cities,
and they have different cultures as well.
But um-but I didn't even meet many people from other countries.
[Karim Fathi - Landed Immigrant] Kind of, because when I was going
to my school from grade one to five,
I was in the French school in my country for five years,
so I was learning my country's official language
and French at the same time in a school
that was a French school. Also I am from an Azerbijani background
in Iran, so I was learning three languages and three cultures together.
[Tonderai Gumbo - International Student] When I was growing up,
no I didn't have intercultural experiences.
The only thing I had was... in my country there are two different
they're kind of like cultures, but it's two different languages.
PART 1: The Journey: Images and Expectations
[Justin Zihindula - Convention Refugee] First of all, by the time I came in Canada,
I did not know any-
I did not know how my life was going to be in Canada.
I'd been thinking that as soon as I arrive in Canada,
my life is going to change abruptly, but I've noticed that
being in this country, everything is to start from scratch.
[Tonderai Gumbo - International Student] Uh, one think I thought was unexpected
was how most Canadians were welcoming to me.
It began since I was on the plane to Canada, from France to Canada,
I met a couple who was actually nice to me and friendly and it was -
I mean it was fine for me from then onwards.
[Leanne Chen - International Student] I thought I would have no place to live
when I got to Canada, and no friends
--you know, nobody who I knew. But then, when I arrived in Canada,
actually somebody from school, Conestoga College, picked me up from the airport in Toronto.
And, she brought me to residence, because I rent over there
and I saw the place and it was great!
The residence, it was great. So I was so happy I had a room to live.
Canada's immigration policy encourages international students
to complete a diploma or degree as a first step
in becoming a "designer immigrant" - an individual who can immediately find work
and contribute to Canada
[Saad Mohammed Alrazouq - International Student] Well I'm now in Wilfred Laurier University.
And I'm now in my second year in the Leadership and Human Resources program.
[Leanne Chen - International Student] Yeah after I graduated, I had three months'
vacation in China, and then after the vacation, I came back to Canada and looked for a job.
And I got a job in a nursing home.
[Karim Fathi - Landed Immigrant] I am uh--actually today I got
my paperwork to be a permanent, full-time
for my permanent, full-time job at Mental Health Services in Guelph...
and I am in the position of decision support, so I am very happy today!
PART 2 A Teacher's View
[Lisa Vielma - Conestoga Language Institute] I have lots of memorable experiences...
but I did have a student, probably about three years ago,
who was terrified. Um, terrified of English, he was away from home for the first time...
we had to do an assignment where we had to go to the cafeteria and ask some questions,
and he was terrified. We walked to the cafeteria
and he hugged the wall, he was so scared,
and he kept saying "I can't". We went down, he asked a few questions.
By the time he finished level two, he was talking with everyone.
So, it was just amazing to hear the other teachers say
"Wow, look at this guy. Look at him talk!"
[Peter Madziak - Health Informatics] Um, it was a matter of just luck
to some degree of timing that I was able to help Karim find the current position,
not as a full-time job, but as a coop opportunity
at the end of his classroom time-- where he currently is,
and has since been hired on as full time.
The night that Karim found out he got the position,
he emailed me and told me
that I had changed his family's life, and I felt that was a very touching moment.
[Mary Elizabeth Roth - Nursing] I have a couple of stories, I think, that
impacted me.
One in particular was a man from Pakistan who had come,
and again he was a medical doctor, but he had come to Canada.
He always sat in the front of the class and was very involved with what was going
on.
And this particular instance was the morning of 9/11.
We had started class at 8:00 in the morning,
and about an hour into the class, 8:00/8:30,
I had given them a break, about an hour after class had started.
And when he came back from break he grabbed his things; he gathered up his
books
and he went to the back of the room and sat there with his head down.
I thought something had happened, he must have had bad news.
So afterwards I went and I talked to him. He said he was so afraid
that people would think that he was somehow responsible,
that he was somehow involved with this
with this horrible event that was unfolding. The video cameras and TV cameras were up in
the hall
and people were watching this whole, horrible event unfold.
And it had impacted him so greatly because
it was people from his background who had potentially been involved.
He was just horrified, he looked so distraught
and so empty and I almost cried through that whole thing.
I thought that he would have come to Canada
and would imagine that we would feel so bad,
and that we would blame him for this.
That impacted me hugely because I sometimes look
at a student and I don't realize where they've come from,
I don't realize what they can bring to me,
and what they might be going through themselves.
So that really taught me a lot about being more aware,
and being more involved.
[Lisa Vielma - Conestoga Language Institute] You know, from day one of the semester,
usually I am a little nervous
because I am not sure what's going to happen.
But I love seeing their faces on day one,
realizing exactly what they can do, what they can't do.
Being able to work with them throughout the semester
and then being able to see them at the end of the semester.
Being able to see them graduate at the end of four semesters
makes me feel really happy.
When I see them smile, when they've realized that
"Wow, I've got it"... that just makes my job worthwhile.
[Mary Elizabeth Roth - Nursing] I think probably the time
that I feel the most excited,
or the most interested, is when I have a student
who understands what's expected, or understands what I say...
they feel comfortable with what's going on in the classroom
and they don't seem to feel at odds with what's going on.
And I'm always really happy about that because I think that we think about things
in the way that we've grown up and assume that everybody else thinks of it
the same way.
So when we have a mix of cultures, it's always nice to know
that somebody understands and can embrace that.
[Peter Madziak - Health Informatics] For some reason to date
it's always been,
I felt, most helpful in the stage when they're done their classroom
and they're starting to look for jobs or coop positions.
I feel that in classroom settings, I'd like to think anyhow,
that I'm fairly good at watching idiomatic expressions
and trying to avoid them or explain them if I use them.
But I think where I can add most value to an International Student,
say, or somebody from another culture is when I'm trying to help them find a job.
Help them formulate their cover letters or have a look at their resumes,
or talk to them about what they might expect in an interview scenario...things like that.
Conestoga College is becoming an education magnet
for international students and newcomers who come from all over
the globe including India, China, Eastern Europe,
West Central Asia, and the Middle East
PART 3: Challenges and Successes
[Justin Zihindula - Convention Refugee] Actually, by the time
I came in Canada,
I did not know how life was in Canada, and how people live in Canada.
But by the time I came here I realized that Canada
is a multicultural country with a lot of people from different backgrounds.
And I noticed, all this time I have been encountering
different people with different backgrounds, and different cultures.
[Saad Mohammed Alrazouq - International Student] For my condition was language,
it was for me hard to deal with too many things.
And I was by myself, and I'm still by myself
and away from my family so... you will have a hard time at the beginning.
[Leanne Chen - International Student] I spent so much time,
like a lot of time,
to study the English language. And I tried to talk
to people and be nice to everybody, you know,
but studying English was challenging.
[Tonderai Gumbo - International Student] I think my biggest challenge
was the weather.
I had never seen snow, ever in my life,
like in my country, it's landlocked, there's not like kind of weather.
That was my biggest challenge. And also, the language.
The way I talk, most people don't understand it,
so I have to repeat myself over and over for them to understand.
[Karim Fathi - Landed Immigrant] Well, it's a long story
but, you know, when you start
in a new country it's a new life, everything from scratch.
So I was-- I still am a doctor in my home country,
not here... it's not respected here as a doctor, my degree.
So I had to start everything from scratch,
everything from the beginning.
Having two kids and a family, so I had to take care of my family,
trying to work part-time and coming to the school and studying,
and taking care of all things together,
it was not easy.
And at the same time there were some problems with
contracting with the people.
[Justin Zihindula - Convention Refugee] To fit in the Canadian society,
I had to go back to school
so that I may be able to go back in my career
which was to work as an internal medical professional.
[Saad Mohammed Alrazouq - International Student] You know you came from
a different place,
different rules, different things... so even with everyday life
you will be facing some things you don't understand...
[Leanne Chen - International Student] ...actually until I lived with
my home stay family,
and um, I lived with them for about three years.
So when I went to school she dropped me off,
she gave me a ride to school. And then when I finished school,
she waited for me, and then we went back home together.
And it let me feel like it is my own country
and that I actually have a family here.
And it made me really comfortable.
[Saad Mohammed Alrazouq - International Student] I remember like,
the first semester was the hardest
because you don't know the system, you don't know how tough the school is,
so I was pushing myself through it.
After first semester, everything became like...like home.
[Really?] ...yeah!
PART 4: What can we do to help?
[Lisa Vielma - Conestoga Language Institute] Um I would say probably
one of the most important things
is to be patient. I think that what happens
a lot of the time with International Students
is they have a lot of ideas, but they may not have the vocabulary
in order to express those ideas, so they may have to say something
that takes twice as long as somebody whose first language is English.
[Peter Madziak - Health Informatics] Faculty, too,
really need to make sure
they know inside and out what the school has to offer.
Because there is a lot, there are a lot of services here,
and you can't identify a need for a student
if you don't know the program exists.
[Lisa Vielma - Conestoga Language Institute] Be patient,
let them speak,
respect where they've come from. Sometimes put yourself in their shoes...
imagine what you would be going through if you were in their country,
doing the same thing. In a different language,
a different country.
[Peter Madziak - Health Informatics] Either avoid or minimise
the usage of idiomatic
or culturally specific expressions, or if you use them,
make sure you are sure that everybody in the classroom understands
them.
[Mary Elizabeth Roth - Nursing] I think getting involved
with their culture,
and asking them questions about where they've come from,
and what's significant... and what it means to them to have come here.
Just as an example, when we talk about nursing,
I'll actually ask a student "what would you do in your home?"