Found in Translation

Blog #8 2024

Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom on Pexels.com

 I have always admired people who can think and speak in more than one language. It takes a lot of effort and determination. The younger you are, they say, it is easier to do. I took French in school for several years but have minimal confidence in the ability to be understood. As I got older and started to travel more I enrolled in conversational Spanish lessons. The two languages have come in handy though I only understand about twenty percent of what someone is trying to communicate to me.

I taught my first class for an adult literacy program through our local library last night. The class is about basic writing in English. All the participants showed up which was amazing considering it was heavily snowing outside. 

We started out with introductions. The class is populated with a variety of new to Canada students. Some have been in the country for almost a year and some just arrived before Christmas. I was impressed with their grasp of the English language in general. Those of us born in an English speaking population really have no clue what it’s like to know our lively hood and future rests on our ability to speak and write the language. I remember riding a tour bus in Dominican Republic and looking out the window at a building with a banner attached. It said in English “If you can read this sign you are hired”.

The students, in the class, range from pretty confident with speaking English to knowing a little English. This is going to be a challenging class to teach. Making sure that everyone gets what they need out of it while maintaining a good pace and flow.

Lost in translation can be common when trying to comprehend a foreign language. I loved that the group compared how they would word something in their own language and then asked very insightful questions about why it was different in English? Oh boy, we do have some things in English that don’t seem to make much sense and can be confusing. As the class brings these challenges to the surface I am excited to see how we tackle them.

I asked the participants to give me some goals that they wanted to make sure we addressed while we spent the next ten weeks together. Me, coming from a banking background, wants to make sure we can measure our success. As I gazed expectantly at the class they seemed a bit puzzled about me asking. It took me back for a few seconds. I thought I wasn’t finding the right words to explain what I wanted from them. Without leading them in their answers, I gave a few examples of challenges they may be facing in regards to writing English. 

• Cover letter for job application
• Social Media comment or post
• Email responses to boss, colleague, friend, business
• Cards such as “get well”, “thankyou”, “shower”, “sympathy”
• Correspondence letter

These examples helped the class to think of ones that I would not have thought of.

• Message box in eTransfer
• Comment box for feedback on something
• Written instructions for a job procedure or recipe

We were able to compile a good list to tackle during our time together.

Overall, I think the first class went pretty well. The program is looking at ways to revamp current courses and I volunteered to teach this class off the cuff using only a work booklet from Oxford University and a very standard approach to learning. If you want to learn how to do something the best thing to do is practice doing it. Get feedback on how well you did and then try again.

I gained insight into how to improve our time spent together going forward:

• Slow down, both in speech and content. Concentrating on a couple of new things per class is my goal. If those couple of things stick then I will consider that a win.
• When curriculum is made up of a workbook, online exercises and weekly in class session, use the in class portion to have students ask questions about course material. Encourage participants to bring examples of writing they are working on so they can get feedback from the classmates and facilitator.
• Perception is everything. Ever been in a class where the facilitator kept reminding you that they needed to rush or what time it was? If you have a lot of content, pick out the main themes, make sure they are covered in class and suggest the students complete the rest on their own.
• Start each class with a review or refresh then end each class with a wrap up or recap. Consistency helps to embed our ability to recall important topics or points.

I am excited about this small but mighty class’s potential. Such a courageous group of people who have uprooted their lives and moved across the globe in hopes of changing their future. Any small part I can help them to navigate gives me joy.

I anticipate learning a little Ukrainian, more Spanish, Hindi and a dialect of African French. Yes, we have a very mixed group to meld together. I am hopeful that we can find common ground in the translation of writing basic English. What an adventure!