NorQuest Academic Upgrading student Willy Poveda and his family.
Learning English was the goal; feeling at home was the result
New Canadian Willy Poveda can now talk to his neighbours, ask his local grocer which aisle the cereal is on, and order a meal without having to struggle to find the right words.
But despite leaps and bounds in his grasp of English thanks to NorQuest College’s Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) and its English as a Second Language (ESL) training, Poveda credits the programming for helping him learn so much more.
“What was such a great experience was that I started to learn about Canada,” says the 35-year-old Colombian national, who is now part of the Academic Upgrading program. “And not only that, but about things in Edmonton—the festivals, and about all the great things this city has to offer for newcomers. It wasn’t just about learning the language, it was about total integration.”
Poveda arrived in Edmonton from Columbia in 2011 via Montreal. His wife and two children came a year later; it was a scary time. He had a few friends, but the littlest of tasks like asking for directions created a lot of anxiety and feelings of loneliness.
“I heard from a friend who told me to look at NorQuest,” he says. “They said it was very helpful.”
It turned out to be life-changing.
“While I was there I felt so confident. The LINC teacher was always positive and told me that I had a higher than Level 3 understanding. She encouraged me and I moved to Level 5.”
From there, he moved on to the college’s ESL programming, spending one year learning the language in even greater detail. His days now are spent upgrading at NorQuest’s Edmonton Downtown main campus with plans to enter the college’s Pharmacy Technician program next year.
“I remember my first day at NorQuest. I was so afraid to talk. Now, I have learned so much and I am still learning and I am not afraid to talk to people. As a student, I know I can count on the teachers. But NorQuest is not only about the teachers. If you have troubles they have counsellors—people who can help you in many ways and that is so valuable, especially for people just coming to Canada. There is no judgement, just respect. You feel like the people there are your friends.”
I remember my first day at NorQuest. I was so afraid to talk. Now, I have learned so much and I am not afraid to talk to people. There is no judgement, just respect. You feel like the people there are your friends.