BRUCE TONG

Throughout Canada’s history, millions of immigrants have contributed to building this country. Canada has opened her arms to people from more than 150 countries. Each year, 200,000 to 250,000 immigrants, who may speak a little English/ French, move to Canada in search of a new live. However, it is a long and tough process for them to settle down and to become an involved Canadian, participating fully and equally in society.

  To help immigrants overcome barriers and obstacles, our group devoted about two and a half months to conduct research and interview, new or prospective immigrants, most of whom are Chinese. Some of them are students from different schools in Montreal, some have full-time jobs and some have part-time jobs.  Based on our survey results, we provide some suggestions not only for new immigrants but also for the government.  We also provide steps for help new immigrants.

  Several Strategies for New immigrants to Overcome:  

  v      Learn the local language:  The majority of new immigrants who come to Canada speak a different language.  Being adults, they have to make much more effort to study language.  The learning process is a long and painful process. Some people give up learning English/ French because they find they can not improve in a short period of short time.  Some assume that their language skills will improve gradually on their own so they put forth little effort to learn. These people often find that their language level is almost the same as when they arrived.  It is important to recognize that language is not just a communication tool; it is a multifunction tool used to open the door to Canadian culture (to understand Canada). Therefore, the first barrier to overcome is to learn English/ French every day. You do not have to be full-time to learn a language. There are some other ways to learn  a language :

    1. Spend a minimum of 30 minutes each day studying and additional time whenever possible.

  2.  According to our research, long-term part-time study is a practical way to learn a language.  For skilled immigrants who want to further their educations, they find a field in demand in the Canadian job market and go to college or university. During this time, they should spend a minimum of 3 hours per week on their language skill.

  3. Some occasional reviewing of all the you have learned is important.

  

  Reading:

   1. Concentrate on reading for comprehension and not looking up every unfamiliar word. Look up only those words which cannot even be guessed or determined based on context, and they create and memorize some sentences using those new words.

   

   2. Read a little bit of the language every day. For instance, a piece of news, a chapter of a novel, an article, a chapter of your textbook or a page-long article.

  

  Speaking:

  1. Learn to learn language by listening and mimic. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes.

  2. Practice speaking out loud on your own and in a group of friends studying the same language.

   

  Writing:

  1. Practice writing every day, even if it is only a few sentences. Writing in the language will help with memorization.

  2. Try to remember what you hear, write it down and then check what you wrote for accuracy.

   

  Some Miscellaneous Helps

  1. Develop a good attitude and know what you want to plan to learn and how you will learn it successfully. Have goals.

  2. If you need help get it. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for help for fear of sounding stupid, or being embarrassed. There are no stupid questions when you are learning a language.

  3. Listen to audio tapes or make your own tapes. Listen to yourself in order to perfect your pronunciation.

  4. Read out loud.

  5. Make flash cards for vocabulary and try using different colors for different genders (French) and for different categories such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

  6. Practice in study groups, become good friends with some of your classmates and they can help you out. [1]

   

  v      Understand Cultural differences: In Canada, new immigrants have to recognize cultural diversity. Culture is defined as the shared patterns of behaviours and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that are learned through a process of socialization[2].  Below is some information to help you understand the cultural differences:

  

  Hofstede's Framework for Assessing Culture

  Geert Hofstede has found five dimensions of culture in his study of national work related values:

  Small vs. Large Power Distance - the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. Small power distance (e.g. Austria, Denmark) expect and accept power relations that are more consultative or democratic. People relate to one another more as equals regardless of formal positions. Subordinates are more comfortable with and demand the right to contribute to and critique the decision making of those in power. In large power distance countries (e.g. China) less powerful accept power relations that are more autocratic and paternalistic. Subordinates acknowledge the power of others simply based on where they are situated in certain formal, hierarchical positions. As such the Power Distance Index Hofstede defines does not reflect an objective difference in power distribution but rather the way people perceive power differences. In Europe, Power Distance tends to be lower in Northern countries and higher in Southern and Eastern parts. There seems to be an admittedly disputable correlation with predominant religions.

  Individualism vs. collectivism - individualism is contrasted with collectivism, and refers to the extent to which people are expected to stand up for themselves and to choose their own affiliations, or alternatively act predominantly as a member of a life-long group or organization. Latin American cultures rank among the most collectivist in this category, while the U.S.A. is one of the most individualistic cultures.

  Masculinity vs. femininity - refers to the value placed on traditionally male or female values (as understood in most Western cultures). So called 'masculine' cultures value competitiveness, assertiveness, ambition, and the accumulation of wealth and material possessions, whereas feminine cultures place more value on relationships and quality of life. Japan is considered by Hofstede to be the most "masculine" culture, Sweden the most "feminine." Anglo cultures are moderately masculine. Because of the taboo on sexuality in many cultures, particularly masculine ones, and because of the obvious gender generalizations implied by the Hofstede's terminology, this dimension is often renamed by users of Hofstede's work, e.g. to Quantity of Life vs. Quality of Life. Another reading of the same dimension holds that in 'M' cultures, the differences between gender roles are more dramatic and less fluid than in 'F' cultures.

  Uncertainty avoidance - reflects the extent to which members of a society attempt to cope with anxiety by minimizing uncertainty. Cultures that scored high in uncertainty avoidance prefer rules (e.g. about religion and food) and structured circumstances, and employees tend to remain longer with their present employer. Mediterranean cultures and Japan rank the highest in this category.

  Long vs. short term orientation - describes a society's "time horizon," or the importance attached to the future versus the past and present. In long term oriented societies, values include persistence (perseverance), ordering relationships by status, thrift, and having a sense of shame; in short term oriented societies, values include normative statements, personal steadiness and stability, protecting ones face, respect for tradition, and reciprocation of greetings, favors, and gifts. China, Japan and the Asian countries score especially high (long-term) here, with Western nations scoring rather low (short-term) and many of the less developed nations very low; China scored highest and Pakistan lowest. [3]

           According to our research, lifestyle, religion, aesthetics, sports, social structure, media, and the means of expression are different. Understanding difference is an accumulative process for immigrants. Based on personal experience, culture has a very close connection with language. Language is shaped by culture. Immigrants have to recognize culture differences and develop an understanding attitude towards them.  Immigrants are also free to maintain their own culture and share it with others.  

   

  v      Improve cross-culture communication:

  1.       Respecting other cultures is fundamental.

  2.       Open your mind, listen and observe others behaviours.  Keep in your mind.  

  3.       Try to make friends from different cultures.

   

  v      Obtain useful information: It is important to find local community centers; they are rich sources of information. Since many immigrants do not have friends or relatives in Canada, gaining useful valuable information is key Information on job opportunities, financial aid, child cares and education as a few examples. The responsibility of these centers is to help new immigrants start their new lives in Canada. Don’t be shy to ask questions.   

  Today, there is much accessible information available online. Learn how to search information online. For example, being able to search for information on jobs, cars and etc. is very a helpful skill for new immigrants.  

  

  v      Get involved (participate):  No matter where newcomers come from, they should help one another. Sometimes, to doing volunteer work is a way to say” I want to be an involved responsible person.” There are many activities available.  When immigrants get involved, they are able to meet other people and start to understand them and their cultures. It is a good way to meet people from different background.  

  

  v      Be optimistic:  When immigrants arrive into a totally different social environment, they must encounter many difficulties. Maintaining a good attitude is very important. It takes time to overcome certain barriers like language and culture.  At the same time, immigrants should adjust their behaviours and attitudes to integrate into a new society.

  

  Suggestions to Government:

  

  v      Improve information booklets for new immigrants:  When new immigrants land in Canada, they receive several booklets from Customs’ officials.  These booklets have much useful information for new immigrants but most new immigrants do not look at them because they can not understand.  The Canadian government should offer information in different languages. Information should provide the brief Canadian background including:  Canadian culture, the population, geography and important institutions in different provinces. These institutions in these booklets should be including: language schools, job centers, and other services centers, which provide different language help.  These booklets should be helpful guides for new immigrants waiting to settle down to a new life in Canada.  

   

  v      Improve information centre services: Many new immigrants are confused by the Canadian system.  Centers should provide lectures about culture in different languages and introduce the Canadian system to new immigrants. New immigrants require information, for example, how to obtain a medical card or social number, how to obtain a driver’s licence, how to buy a house or car, how to take public transportation, how to register at a school, how to find a job, how to find a  family doctor, how to find a volunteer job, how to find local community centers, how to start a small business, how to learn about regulations or laws, how to invest, how to rent an apartment, how to obtain RISP,  and how ‘Canadian Multiculturalism’ functions. Centers must to efficiently help new immigrants whose English or French skills are weak start new lives.   

  

  v       Create more job opportunities: Most skilled immigrants have to fight for survival when they first arrive.  Most of them received their educations overseas.  They may have a very strong background in science, but they have poor language skills. They have to get jobs quickly in order to support their families, while, as a result, learning languages loses its importance. Further, most companies prefer to hire people who have one or two years working experience in North America. This is a key barrier for new immigrants. Some companies are not willing to hire new immigrants because of communication problems. Under these circumstances, governments should enact some policies to encourage companies to hire new immigrants. This would help immigrants adapt to the new society.  According to our survey, most people take more than two years to get familiar with their new social environment. This is the toughest time for them to get though because they have extremely low or no incomes and very limited information on the job market. If they are able to get a job within one year, they will be able to settle down and start to understand the social environment. At the same time, they will pay more attention to improving language skills because they do care about their jobs.