FEATURE HEALTH According to 2011 census data, Peterborough City has 5,510 residents whose mother tongue is not English.
said an ESL Forum committee has been created to work on an inventory of English programs and as part of an effort to improve the quality of language services and make Peterborough a more immigrant-friendly community.
Also, she added, “we have a program where we visit new moms in their homes. Due to the interaction needed during these visits, we notice how language barriers can limit access to health care.”
The committee has since identified a few gaps in the English programs.
Ms. Post also noticed that immigrants were not participating during a recent cancer-screening program. “Immigrants are under-screened, we think,” Ms. Post said. PROGRAMS PCCHU and PRHC have developed programs and protocols to deal with patients with limited English proficiency. “We’re in a phase where we’re aware of the situation and dealing with it and monitoring things so we can make those barriers as low as possible,” Ms. Post said. For instance, they have created literatures at Grade 6-8 level. “The idea was to make sure that the patient knew in advance how to ask all the questions he or she needed to ask, prepare a note with symptoms, or ask the doctor to draw an explanation of the medical problem. But what we wanted the most was to encourage people not to be shy and ask as many times as was needed,” Ms. Post said.
Antoinette VanVeen
My job is to make them feel a part of our community, as active and productive people who are able to take ownership of their lives again.
“Everybody in my class had a life before they came here. That is now gone. My job is to make them feel a part of our community, as active and productive people who are able to take ownership of their lives again,” she said.
“It’s not about creating the perfect phrase; it’s about being comfortable with yourself. Put yourself out there and talk to your neighbor. Talk with the store clerk if you need something and learn the words that are going to make your daily life easier. The rest will come with time. Independent people are people with dignity and courage,” she said. “You need to learn the language of your community.”
“The first step would be to call in people on the staff who speak the required language. If that is not possible, we try to use community resources – like asking the New Canadians Centre for an interpreter. People should also know that they can bring their medical information in their own language and get translations to English upon request, which is very useful for our doctors to follow medical histories,” she said.
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Antoinette VanVeen, a LINC teacher at Fleming College since 1982, understands the importance of overcoming a language barrier.
The best way to learn English as a second language, according to Ms. VanVeen, is by making an effort to become part of the community.
Michelene Ough, communications advisor at PRHC, outlines the hospital’s strategy in dealing with immigrants with limited English-speaking ability.
Safo Musta, interim coordinator at the Peterborough Partnership Council on Immigrant Integration,
“Right now, we don’t have advanced classes for free, and most of the English programs are offered during the week. So, working people are unable to take the classes. Also, we only have two levels of LINC, which is imparted at Fleming College. But you can’t take the LINC class if you are a citizen, which affects immigrants who came in older age or parents that are joining their kids,” Ms. Musta said.
For the Mohammadzada couple, their advice to other immigrants facing a language barrier is, “relax, find someone to help you learn the language and have fun.” Christine Post
They now own a 24-hour pizza store. n FALL 2013 | NEWCOMER BULLETIN
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