The fine art of Canadian Conversation ¹:

A Sample lesson at the high- intermediate level for Akbar

Reprinted here as a shortened version of an article originally printed in the Globe and Mail, March 17, 2003, by Renée Huang and available on the web at:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPPrint/LAC/20030317/CALANG/

When Malcolm Oliver moved his family to Canada from Bombay last fall, he knew landing work would be tough. But he didn't count on finding a culturally diverse workplace full of other newcomers also struggling to adjust to new jobs and lives.

" I thought I'd be working with Canadians but I was surprised," says Mr. Oliver, 46, a production technician for Toronto - based Dalton Chemical Laboratories. About 70 of its 100 employees are newcomers to Canada.

Working with other cultures and with people for whom English is a second language is a fact of life in this country. The latest census figures indicate that immigrants account for almost one-fifth of the work force. Recent immigrants- those arriving in the past 10 years - represent almost 70 percent of labour force growth.

Yet this influx of people has led to an array of communication hurdles on the job, and workplace experts say organizations with strategies and programs that address these issues are best equipped to deal with the evolving face of the Canadian work force.

Dalton, a pharmaceutical and biotech research company, is a prime example. The company offers on-site classes, on company time, in English as a second language, and accommodates employees' various religious needs and holiday requests. Dalton also has multicultural potluck lunches to encourage cultural curiosity and to celebrate holidays such as the Chinese New Year or Indian festivals. Thirty cultures are represented by its workforce.

Paying for immigrants to learn English improves and gives newcomers a chance to bond with other employees in a positive learning environment, says Peter Pekos, Dalton's president and chief executive officer. Even though they cost "quite a lot," Mr. Pekos says the onsite ESL classes are a worthwhile investment because building a cohesive work team is an organizational plus.

Rensia Melles, a director of clinical products and global services for FGI, a large Toronto- based employee assistance provider, says companies need more emphasis on sensitivity training and cross - cultural effectiveness - both within Canada and abroad.

¹ Renée Huang. (March 17, 2003) The Fine Art of Canadian Conversation. The Globe and Mail. [on-line] Available: theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPPrint/LAC/20030317/CALANG/ Reprinted by permission of the author.