Language Confidence for Newcomers

Jun. 1

By Aleks Stypulkowska

For newcomers to Canada, whose native language is not English or French, engaging socially or professionally can feel like a daunting task. To thrive within Canada, as a happy, integrated member of society, usually requires a lot of hard work and significantly stepping out of your comfort zone. Especially when applying to jobs, poor language skills can hold you back and make it difficult to find employment. It is important to work on your communication skills and acquire the appropriate terminology for your industry so you can confidently demonstrate your abilities to your future employers.

On the other hand, another common problem immigrants face in Canada is a lack the confidence in the language skills they already possess. Immigrants can feel ashamed of their accents or any slight mispronunciation. This can act as a barrier in employment; Their confidence can hold them back from applying to jobs where they are qualified because they do not feel their English (or French) is "good enough".

A good rule when accessing if your English skills will be good enough for a Canadian workplace, is to focus less on your English being perfect and instead on communication. Do English speakers usually understand what you are trying to say? If the answer is yes, your English skills are probably much better than you think.

Also as a newcomer, you should take into consideration that Toronto is a multicultural city. According to Toronto.ca, Toronto has the largest number of recent immigrants of any Canadian city. In 2016, Toronto was home to 17.5 per cent of all recent immigrants to Canada. Having an accent is not uncommon and most employers and co-workers are familiar with working with non-native English speakers. Instead highlight the skills and expertise you have to offer the employer and how you can make a positive contribution to the team and the company.

If you are looking to improve your language skills there are many resources available to you:

English classes to access and improve your language skills
The Community Connections Program offers fun activities to improve your English in a relaxed social setting:
- English Conversation Circle (ECC)
- Cooking Club
- Movie Night