Remember the many challenges you faced as a teenager? Parents, puberty, peers and the list goes on. Imagine if you added to that list moving to a country where you didn’t speak the language or understand the culture. There are many second-level students in Waterford today who find themselves in this situation. Whether they have arrived as refugees or with their parents for work, life is not always easy for them as they try to adjust to a new culture and the challenges of education in a foreign language. This situation also provides a huge challenge to teachers, with class sizes growing and the additional needs of these students, particularly when it comes to learning the specific vocabulary of individual subjects. The English Enhancement Project, supported by the Information and Support Unit for New Communities at the ERIHC Mt Sion, began in October 2008 as an attempt to meet some of the needs of these second-level students. Every Monday and Thursday after school a group of (12) Mt Sion and Waterpark secondary students, all born outside of Ireland, were assisted with reading, grammar, comprehension, homework and computer skills. There were also many opportunites for games and socialising. Senior students from Mt Sion secondary school and Social Care students from Waterford Institute of Technology acted as mentors and tutors for the students. Where possible, students were offered individual tutoring. As well as improvements in English, the boys seemed to grow in confidence. “This was our hope,” said Br Kevin Mascarenhas, Director of the Information and Support Unit, “that they would be given educational support, but also that they would go away feeling good about themselves and their abilities”.
Br Mascarenhas said that “there is a huge need for government to continue to finance intensive English support to new students and for teachers to be appropriately trained and resourced. The alienation, behavioural difficulties and poor educational outcomes which will result from not doing so will prove much more costly than being proactive.”
Kylie Kuppe, Project Coordinator, believes that the success of this project also highlights the importance of volunteering in our community. “Now, more than ever, is the time for people to think about offering their skills as volunteers. Alot can be achieved when people, with the will to make a difference, see a need and give their time to help address it. Without the WIT tutors, in particular, this project would not have been possible.”
The effectiveness of volunteers is also being proven by another very successful programme operating through the Information and Support Unit for New Communities, “Failte Isteach”. Every Wednesday evening 7-9pm and Monday mornings 9.30 – 11.30am local people are volunteering as English teachers for 45-50 adults who wish to begin learning English or who wish to improve their English language skills. Groups are small and the format is mainly conversational with resources provided, so all a volunteer needs is an ability to speak English well. Br Mascarenhas invites local people to get involved and emphasises that “when newcomers feel welcomed and are able to understand and communicate, this can only enhance their ability to make valuable contributions to the Waterford community and we all benefit.”
For further details and if any schools or volunteers want to get involved with The English Enhancement Program please contact The Information and Support Unit for New Communities on 051 852564.
There were also many opportunites for games and socialising. Senior students from Mt Sion secondary school and Social Care students from Waterford Institute of Technology acted as mentors and tutors for the students. Where possible, students were offered individual tutoring. As well as improvements in English, the boys seemed to grow in confidence. “This was our hope,” said Br Kevin Mascarenhas, Director of the Information and Support Unit, “that they would be given educational support, but also that they would go away feeling good about themselves and their abilities”.