English key to integration, immigrant group says
Chinese Village Club offers ESL, public-speaking contest
Liu Ying does not have to imagine the plight of new immigrants landing in Metro Vancouver without any knowledge of English. Liu, who emigrated from China five years ago with her family, has lived that experience.
“Everything was a challenge,” said Liu, recounting not being able to do the simplest things, such as asking where to buy groceries in their new Richmond neighbourhood. “Even something basic, like finding a place to eat, was difficult. We felt very helpless … and I thought, ‘If I can share my experiences with other newcomers, to help them adapt to their new home, that’s how I can contribute.’”
Liu now resides in White Rock, and along with a small group of other Chinese-Canadians, founded the non-profit Chinese Village Club in South Surrey earlier this year. The goal of the group is simple: to help Chinese immigrants adapt to Canadian society, with understanding English a primary goal.
The club currently runs ESL classes for children and adults, and receives all of its funding through its network of 7,000 followers (mostly parents and students) throughout the Lower Mainland. The club also encourages Chinese-Canadian youth to use English in public-speaking situations, to help their integration into the community.
“I think the language barrier is a big reason the (new immigrant) community is seen as a separate group where members only interact with each other,” said Liu, who is president of the Chinese Village Club. “English is the official language here. We see in Surrey how well-integrated the South-Asian community is ... while still maintaining their distinct traditions, and I think the ability to communicate plays a big part.”
The club’s efforts will culminate in a youth public-speaking competition (for students under the age of 18) on Jan. 29 at the Bell Performance Centre in Surrey, with cross-cultural understanding as a theme. They have received about 100 applications to compete and have reached out to other ethnic communities, such as South-Asian and Korean groups, to participate.
“Vancouver is a multicultural place,” said Chinese Village Club director Adele Yu. “We are encouraging fellow newcomers to get out there and participate in Canadian society. … Many parents are here because they want a better education for their children, and they want a platform for kids — whose first language is Mandarin — to practise and master communicating in English and be contributing members of society. So the competition is a natural choice.
“We are trying to help Chinese speakers, regardless of what passport they carry, to welcome them and to help them get a good start in Canada, to have a happy life.”
The Chinese Village Club is one of a few grassroots, immigrant-organized community groups that are advocating for better integration with mainstream society, to promote a sense of community as a whole.
Yu said the Chinese Village Club is trying to go beyond just teaching ESL classes — it participated in this year’s version of the long-running White Rock Sea Festival during the summer, and launched a YouTube channel for young Chinese-Canadians in the group to upload telecasts of community news, in English and Mandarin, to encourage participants to demonstrate what they have learned.
More information on the Chinese Village Club and the public-speaking competition can be found at www.powerspeechca.com.