ESL Partners with the Mississauga Public Library!
Hayley Goodwin & Sachee Ranaweera
This fall, the ESL department has partnered with Mississauga Central Library, offering free English language classes to Mississauga community members. There are two levels of classes on offer, and are running once a week for 12 weeks in total. The students range in age from 18-92 and come from over 12 different countries. Most of them are newcomers to Canada: refugees, new immigrants, or temporary visitors, accompanying their spouses on work or study visas. Many of these students don’t qualify for government-funded language programs, such as LINC, or are stuck on LINC waiting lists.
While the library does offer a weekly drop-in English conversation circle in the evenings, these daytime classes differ in that it is the same group of students over the course of 12 weeks, which establishes a sense of community and continuity in the classroom. Students appreciate the English instruction, but also the connections they’re making with other members of the Mississauga community. One student in the upper intermediate level agreed; “I joined English learning class to improve my language so I can communicate with people, find a new job and enjoy my life in my new culture.” These classes appear to be filling a real social and educational need in the community.
Classes are being led by two Sheridan faculty, Hayley Goodwin and Sachee Ranaweera. Hayley is a full-time ESL and TESOL professor in FHASS, and Sachee is a 2022 TESOL Plus graduate, who is now teaching in the ESL department. Sachee, who has always volunteered in some capacity in her native Sri Lanka, has found that, “Teaching at the library has definitely been a great opportunity to give back to the city.” Hayley enjoys being able to connect with and support a demographic different from her Sheridan ESL classes. Several other recent Sheridan TESOL Plus graduates have taught a few of the classes as well. This has offered them some additional mentorship by Hayley and Sachee, as well as experience to put on their CVs.
Mississauga Central Library is extremely satisfied with the community interest and engagement in the program, which is a testament to the dedication and quality of instruction of Sheridan faculty and its TESOL Plus graduates. With such positive feedback from both students and library administration, we are happy to announce classes will be returning in January and will hopefully continue for the foreseeable future.
