Last week, an imaginative activity — complete with an adventure out in the community — enabled EAL (English as an Additional Language) students to practice speaking English in different areas throughout Morden.
The excursion took the form of a scavenger hunt, which Cecilia Gil, a teacher at Morden Collegiate Institute, organized.
Exploring the community, practising English
For the activity, students practiced asking questions and planned them out before taking to the community to practice. The stops along the hunt included Gallery Wealth Management, Ruff Mutts, Morden Police Service, Coffee Culture, Rendezvous, the Morden Library, and several other locations.
“All the businesses that we went to were so helpful and welcomed us with open arms, and they were so happy to participate in this event,” said Gil. “Students went in and asked questions at some of the businesses, and at other places they had challenges.”
One stop along the way with special significance was meeting with the Morden Police Service.
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“[The students] were a little nervous about going to the police because some of the experiences they have had with the police in their home countries have not been positive,” said Gil.
“Some of them [are] a little skeptical about going, so I like taking them ... because they can see that the police here in Canada [are] a safe space and they're somebody that we can trust and we can go to for help.”
Gil said that after the meeting with the police, the students became more comfortable with law enforcement. Throughout the day, students also had the opportunity to learn about the businesses in Morden.
Overcoming nerves
Navigating circumstances outside the students’ comfort zones was one of the themes of the day. As the students travelled through the community, Gil said that some of them were “a little nervous” talking to the business owners as new English speakers.
Despite the nerves, she was impressed with the students' bravery and willingness to ask their rehearsed questions.
“I was so proud of them,” she said. “It made me so proud to see them being brave and trying to communicate and engage with other people.”
A word from the students
For Halima Abdalla, one of the students in Gil’s ELA class, going around the community was an excellent opportunity to learn about the local culture.
Jalil Noori, a grade 12 student at Morden Collegiate Institute, said one of the highlights of the day was visiting Pure Anada, where there was a challenge to smell items and identify the scents.
Noori says that events like the scavenger hunt help him in his English-learning journey.
“It was fun to go because I met new people and learned a lot of new things,” said Seedra Shahab, another grade 9 student who participated.
In the end, the scavenger hunt was about getting out into the community and applying learning outside of the classroom.
For Gil, it was well worth it.
“It was a great opportunity for them to go and experience practicing English [outside of their comfort zone],” she said.
- With files from Robyn Wiebe -
