ESL Ministry

Masahito from Japan in E4 Advanced 1 Online Class

My name is Masahito, and I came from Japan two years ago. The reason why I joined ESL at Willingdon Church was that I wanted to improve my English skills and make new friends. We study with about 10 people once a week using Zoom. In our class, I think the most useful practice was for each student to do a short presentation: for example, explaining to a tourist how to get to a destination, or instructing someone how to cook something easily. I am not good at speaking, but I realized that if I had prepared before I talked, I could speak better. Also, we learned English through studying some Bible verses. I know them in Japanese, but I sometimes don’t understand the meanings in English. Sometimes, when the teacher asked me to explain them, I couldn’t come up with words to explain them clearly. Now my next goals are to speak more fluently and explain the Bible verses more clearly.

In Japanese:

２年前に日本からカナダに移住してきたMasahitoです。私がウィリンドン教会の英語クラスに参加しようと思った理由は、英語のスキルを上達させたいと思ったことと、新しい友人を作りたいと思ったからです。私たちのクラスは、約10人の生徒が週に１回ズームを利用して学んでいます。このクラスで最も役立つと思った練習は、例えば、観光客に目的地へ到着するための説明、簡単な料理の作り方の説明などの短いプレゼンテーションでした。私は話すことがあまり得意ではないと思っていましたが、事前に話す内容を考えておけば、話せることに気がつきました。また、聖書の学びもしました。日本語ならばわかるのですが、英語だと意味がわからないときがありました。先生から説明を求められたとき、どのように説明したらいいのか思いつかないことがありました。そこで、今後の目標としては、もう少し流暢に話せるようになることと、聖書を説明できるようになることだと思いました。

Rachel From Korea in E4 Advanced 1 In-person Class

My name is Rachel. I am retired now. When I immigrated to Canada, my English was very poor, so I really wanted to study hard but I needed to take care of my son and my husband, both of whom needed to study, so there was no time for me to do that. Later, even though I had opportunity to learn ESL for several months, I had to work and I was very sick which made it not possible for me to study.

Finally, I retired and had time, so I found Willingdon Church which combined ESL with Bible study. I really appreciate Willingdon Church giving us a chance to study the Bible in English.

Whenever I read the Bible, I am very at peace. Now, I can read the Bible in English and in Korean together, which helps me to understand better and more clearly.

The Bible studies inspire me. I find beautiful stories and I come to know how much God loves me so I love my Saviour more, too. I can also introduce Jesus not only to Koreans but also to English-speaking people.

Thanks to my English teachers who are dedicated Christians. They teach not only English but also that Jesus cares and loves us.

I hope all of you will become stronger in Christ’s love and find hope in Christ throughout the year.

In Korean:

레이첼입니다.
캐나다 이민왔을때 영어가 많이 부족했습니다. 그래서 정말 공부하고 싶었는데 아들과
남편이 공부를 했기 때문에 제 몫은 없었습니다.
몇달간의 ESL후 저는 일해야 했고 많이 아프고 시간도 없어서 공부할수가 없었습니다.
마침내 저는 은퇴하였고 시간이 생겼습니다. 그리고 나는 윌링던교회에서 하는
ESL+성경공부를 발견했고 저는 윌링던 교회가 우리에게 성경을 영어로 공부할수 있게
해주신것에 감사하고 있습니다.
제가 성경을 읽을때 혹은 찬송가를 부를때 한국어와 영어를 같이 보면 더 정확하게 이해가
되어 편합니다.
성경에서 아름다운 이야기를 보고 하나님이 저를 얼마나 사랑하시는지 발견하게 되고
감동합니다. 그리고 저도 나의 구원자이신 예수님을 제일 사랑합니다. 그리고 예수님을
한국분들 뿐만 아니라 영어권에게도 소개할수 있습니다.
특별히 영어교사이신 힐다과 사라에게도 감사드립니다. 훌륭한 크리스챤으로서 영어만
이 아니라 예수님안에서 배려와 사랑을 가르쳐주십니다.
여러분 모두에게 하나님의 축복이 희망과 사랑이 함께 하시기를 바랍니다.

메리크리스마스!
레이첼

Rita from Brazil in E4 Advanced 1, E5 Advanced 2 Online Classes

My name is Rita. I’m from Brazil and I have been living in Vancouver since 2019. I found out about the ESL program offered by Willingdon Church and I applied to study in Level 4. At that time, the class was in-person, face-to-face. After starting the program, I discovered that there were many newcomers like me who needed help to improve the English skills in order to live and connect in the new culture.

In the beginning, I was very shy because I didn’t want to speak wrongly, but step by step I realized that the difficulty was common to other students. In the middle of 2020, because of the COVID pandemic, the classes went online. The classes are designed to teach the four basic English skills: speaking, reading, listening and writing. After these subjects, we learned about the Bible. The teachers are very friendly and volunteer their time to help us improve our English while giving us spiritual support.

Now I’m studying in level 5, where I find support to improve my English skills, to connect with other people, and to understand better the messages during the Sunday services at the church.

I appreciate very much this opportunity, the teachers, the ESL coordinator, Willingdon Church, and I’m sure this program has blessed many people culturally and spiritually. I wish the ministry will continue to grow and bless more people.

Thanks to all and God bless!

In Portuguese:

Oi pessoal,

Meu nome é Rita, sou brasileira e moro em Vancouver desde 2019.

Eu soube do programa English School Learning (ESL) oferecido pela Willingdon Church e me inscrevi para estudar, iniciando no Nível 4.Naquele momento, as aulas eram presenciais. No decorrer do programa, conheci muitos recém-chegados como eu, que precisavam de ajuda para melhorar o inglês de forma a viver e se conectar na nova cultura.

No começo, eu era muito tímida porque não queria falar errado, mas aos poucos fui percebendo que a dificuldade era comum aos outros estudantes. Em meados de 2020, por conta da pandemia do COVID, as aulas passaram a ser online.

A dinâmica da aula é a seguinte: na primeira parte são trabalhadas as 4 habilidades básicas, a saber:  escrever, falar, ler e ouvir; na segunda parte são ministrados estudos bíblicos. Os professores são amáveis, voluntariam seu tempo para nos ajudar a melhorar nosso inglês enquanto nos dão apoio espiritual.

Agora estou no nível 5, sempre encontro apoio para desenvolver minha fluência na língua inglesa, me conectar com outras pessoas e entender melhor as mensagens durante a celebração aos domingos na igreja.

Agradeço muito esta oportunidade, aos professores, o coordenador do ESL, a Willingdon Church, e tenho certeza que este programa tem abençoado muitas pessoas cultural e espiritualmente. Desejo que o ministério continue crescendo, alcançando e abençoando mais pessoas.

Obrigada. Deus abençoe a todos!

Jenny from Hong Kong in C2 Introductory 2 and E1 Introductory Online Classes

I am from Hong Kong. My name is Jenny. I know that Willington Church has free ESL English courses, both in person and online. I signed up and became an online learning English student at introductory level C1 class. After the first year was over, my teacher promoted me to enter both C2 class and E1 class. C2 class is conducted in Mandarin and English, and E1 is taught in English completely. These two classes use the same textbook, so participating in different classes for a repeated study really helps to improve my listening and expression skills. My heart is full of joy and gratitude!
All the teachers are adhering to the great love of Christ Jesus, serving voluntarily in the church, spending a lot of time preparing for the students, and never being late for class, teaching seriously!
I am a student who likes to ask questions, but the teachers never blame me, they try their best to explain and help me understand what I ask, which makes me feel grateful and I really admire them!
There’s one thing I want to emphasize, i.e. we have Bible study time in every class. It helps me to know the love and thought-provoking teachings of the Lord Jesus. I am reminded of the infinite length, height and depth of His great love!

In Chinese:

我来自香港.名字是Jenny. 我知道威灵顿教会有免费的ESL英文课程，有实体和网课。我报名参加，成为威灵顿教会在网上学习英文初级C1班的学生， 学期完结后老师提升我进入C2班和E1班，C2班是普通话和英语双向进行，E1是全程用英语上课。两个班级用的是同一本教材，参加不同的班，又能重复学习，真的有助于改善自己的听力与表达能力。心中满是欢喜与感恩！

众老师们都是秉承基督耶稣的大爱，在教会义务服务，为众学子付出了很多时间准备，上课的时间也从不迟到，认真教导！

我是一个爱发问的学生 但老师们从不责备我，想尽办法解释、帮助我明白所问。使得我心存敬佩与感谢！

我還想強調一件事，每次课程里还有圣经学习时间，帮助我认识主耶稣的爱与发人深省的教诲。提醒我祂的慈爱是何等伟大！

Bushra from Syria in E2 Beginner Online and E3 Intermediate In-person Classes

I came to Canada about a year ago from Syria. My whole life changed after I moved here, and like every immigrant, the start was not easy. I was introduced to Willingdon church by a common friend two months after I arrived. Through the Welcome Centre and the Café, I learned about the ESL classes. I started attending first on Zoom and then got a chance to register for in-person sessions. Throughout our conversations in each class, I get a chance to hear more English, get introduced to new words, attempt to speak and get corrected when I make mistakes. I found myself getting better, especially in my conversational skills. As my English improved, I was more comfortable navigating around my community, getting groceries and meeting new people. Aside from learning English, the ESL class introduced me to new friends from around the world who share similar stories and faith as mine. Willingdon gave me an opportunity to connect with people on a spiritual level and have a family away from home.

In Arabic:

جئت إلى كندا منذ حوالي عام من سوريا. تغيرت حياتي كلها بعد أن انتقلت إلى هنا ، ومثل كل مهاجر ، لم تكن البداية سهلة. لقد تعرفت على كنيسة ويلينجدون من قبل صديق مشترك بعد شهرين من وصولي ، ومن خلال المقهى ومركز الترحيب ، تعرفت على دروس اللغة الإنجليزية كلغة ثانية. بدأت الحضور أولاً في zoom ثم حصلت على فرصة للتسجيل في الجلسات الشخصية. خلال محادثاتنا في كل فصل، أحصل على فرصة لسماع المزيد من اللغة الإنجليزية ، والتعرف على كلمات جديدة ، ومحاولة التحدث والتصحيح عندما أرتكب أخطاء. وجدت نفسي أتحسن ، خاصة في مهارات المحادثة. مع تحسن لغتي الإنجليزية ، كنت أكثر راحة في التنقل حول مجتمعي ، والحصول على البقالة والتعرف على أشخاص جدد. بصرف النظر عن تعلم اللغة الإنجليزية ، قدمني فصل اللغة الإنجليزية كلغة ثانية إلى أصدقاء جدد من جميع أنحاء العالم ، ممن يشاركونني نفس القصة والإيمان. أعطاني Willingdon فرصة للتواصل مع الناس على المستوى الروحي والحصول على عائلة بعيدة عن المنزل.

Sarai and Nisi from Mexico in E5 Advanced 2 Online Class

In México our parents and we used to go to a congregation similar to Willingdon Church. When we arrived to Canada, we felt that we needed to find a church for us to meet who have the same faith. After a while we found Willingdon Church, and we felt very welcome and comfortable. We never thought that, as a multicultural church, they gave languages lessons, and we could continue practicing and studying English, without my parents needing to pay, and it has been a blessing. We felt very comfortable and accepted in our group with our adult classmates, even though we are underage. Also, it has been a blessing that our English has improved and we have learned more about the Bible. We are very grateful to our teachers for the way they teach us.

In Spanish:

En México nuestros padres y nosotras íbamos a una congregación similar a Willingdon Church; cuando nosotros llegamos a Canadá, sentimos que necesitábamos encontrar una iglesia para seguirnos congregando. Después de un tiempo encontramos la iglesia de Willingdon y nos sentimos bienvenidos y cómodos. No nos imaginamos, que por ser una iglesia multicultural, dieran clases de idiomas, y tendríamos la oportunidad de seguir practicando y estudiando inglés, sin que mis padres tuvieran que pagar, y esto ha sido una gran bendición. Nos sentimos muy cómodas y aceptadas en nuestro grupo con nuestros compañeros adultos, aunque nosotras seamos menores de edad. También ha sido una bendición que nuestro inglés ha mejorado, y que también hemos aprendido más acerca de la Biblia. Y estamos muy agradecidas a nuestros maestros por la manera de enseñarnos.

David Lives in Bolivia and Attends Online E4 Advanced 1 Class

My name is David. I live in Cochabamba, a city located in the center of Bolivia, which is in South America. I have a Canadian friend from Vancouver, his name is Geordon Rendle who was the International President of Youth for Christ, where I serve God in my country, and he was the one who gave me references to the Willingdon Church; I looked it up on the internet, and I also found the ESL program. Since October of last year, I have been in the Advanced Level online classes, I have been very blessed with each lesson, with the teaching of the word of God, and I have also practiced and improved my English vocabulary with my new friends and teachers. I like my classes a lot, although sometimes, due to the time change, they are a bit late. In August 2021, my mom passed away and my cousin who lives in Vancouver encouraged me to go live in Canada, and now that is my plan for the following year.

In Spanish:
Mi nombre es David Lino De La Torre, vivo en Cochabamba una ciudad ubicada en el centro de Bolivia que se encuentra en Sudamérica. Tengo un amigo canadiense de Vancouver, su nombre es Geordon Rendle quien fue el Presidente Internacional de Juventud para Cristo, donde sirvo a Dios en mi país, y fue quien me dio referencias de la Iglesia Willingdon; la busqué en internet, y también encontré ESL; desde octubre del año pasado estoy en las clases en línea del nivel avanzado, he sido muy bendecido con cada lección, con la enseñanza de la palabra de Dios, y también he practicado y mejorado mi vocabulario en inglés con mis nuevos amigos y maestros. Mis clases me gustan mucho aunque a veces por el cambio de horario son un poco tarde. En agosto de 2021, mi mamá falleció y mi prima que vive en Vancouver me animó a irme a vivir a Canadá, y ahora ese es mi plan para el siguiente año.

Antonina from Kyrgyzstan in E5 Advanced 2 In-person Class

My name is Antonina Kim, I have lived in Canada BC for 16 years. English is my second language and I always had a goal to improve my speaking, listening and grammar skills. I heard about the ESL classes provided by Willington church and decided to apply for it. I went through testing and was directed to the Advance Class.

I did not know that the lessons were going to consist of two parts: one hour is grammar, listening and communication and the second hour is Bible study. I like both parts. In the second part of our lessons, I learned so much more about Jesus. I am improving not only in my English skills but also growing spiritually. We have a lot of fun in our lessons. It is a very friendly environment, we share our stories from our lives, cultural differences as my classmates are from different countries. I am so grateful for this opportunity from Willingdon Church, and big thanks to our teachers for their kindness, patience and love.

In Russian:

Меня зовут Антонина Ким, я прожила в канаде 16 лет и всегда старалась улучшить свой Англииский, так как это мои второй язык. Я узнала что Вилиндон церковь набирает студентов на Английские курсы и  решила записаться . Прошла тестирование и меня определили в адванс группу. Я не знала что класс будет состоять из двух частей, первый час это грамматика, разговор, новые слова, прослушивание диалогов, а второй час это изучение библии. Мне нравятся обе части. Во второй части наших уроков я узнала очень много об Иисусе более глубже и шире. На этих занятиях я улучшаю не только свой английский но и расту духовно. Наши уроки проходят очень весело в дружеской обстановке. Мы делимся историями из нашей жизни, особенностями наших культур так как студенты из разных стран. Я очень благодарна Вилингдон церкви за эту предоставленную возможность и большое спасибо нашим учителям за их доброту, терпение и любовь которую они проявляют к нам .

Giranti from Indonesia in E3 Intermediate Online Class

In 2023 I took my first ESL class at Willingdon Church where our daughter attends.
Due to the difficulty of being able to attend church, I decided to take classes online. In my opinion, it is not easy to follow classes online, because there are many obstacles that occur. For example: internet connection and no direct physical contact. I am grateful to have a teacher who can control and handle these obstacles. I really appreciate our teacher who is very personal in the context of remembering the names, backgrounds of each student. She also really accepts us as we are and is very encouraging. Bible sharing is delivered with good preparation, namely full of creativity, simple, and meaningful. Thus, I am very challenged and not like to miss ESL classes even though I have not been able to fully utilize what I get during ESL classes, especially in communication. At least I am braver to try to speak English now. I look forward to the next Advance ESL class which will further advance my English skills.

In Indonesian:

Tahun 2023 saya pertama kali mengikuti kelas ESL yang diadakan oleh Willingdon Church di mana anak perempuan kami bergereja. Karena kesulitan untuk bisa hadir di gereja maka saya memutuskan untuk ikut kelas secara onlineMenurut saya tidak mudah mengikuti kelas secara online, karena ada banyak kendala yang terjadi. Misalnya: koneksi internet, tidak ada kontak fisik langsung. Saya bersyukur mendapat guru yang dapat mengendalikan dan menangani kendala2 tersebut. Saya hargai sekali guru kami sangat personal touch dalam konteks mengingat nama, background dari setiap murid. Beliau juga sangat menerima kami apa adanya dan sangat memberi semangat. Sharing Alkitab disampaikan dengan persiapan yang baik yaitu penuh kreatif, sederhana, berbobot. Dengan demikian saya sangat tertantang dan menyukai untuk tidak melewatkan kelas ESL meski saya belum sepenuhnya dapat memanfaatkan apa yang saya dapat selama kelas ESL khususnya dalam komunikasi. Setidaknya saya sudah lebih berani untuk mau mencoba bicara dalam bahasa Inggris. Saya berharap di kelas ESL selanjutnya akan mendapat yang lebih baik lagi untuk semakin memajukan kemampuan saya dalam berbahasa Inggris.

Lyubov from Ukraine in R Introductory Online Class

A year ago, I visited the Willingdon Church and met wonderful, friendly, and kind-hearted people. In this place, you can find support, attention, and care. I also got to know my Russian Language Ministry ESL teacher, who volunteers at this Сhurch. Her lessons are incredibly helpful. Her professionalism and engaging teaching methods have had a positive impact on my English learning. She shows respect, kindness, and strives to deliver knowledge at a high level to students of all ages. I am deeply grateful to the entire Church community for their good deeds. Lyubov (Ukraine)

In Russian:

Посетив год назад церковь Виллингдон я познакомилась с удивительными, дружелюбными, отзывчивыми людьми. В этом месте можно получить поддержку, внимание и заботу.

Знакомство c преподавателем английского языка русскоязычного служения

(проводит занятия как волонтер в этой церкви). Уроки проходят с огромной пользой. Профессионализм, увлекательная методика обучения дают положительный результат в моем изучении английского. Уважительное отношение, добросердечность, стремление донести знания на высоком уровне для студентов любого возраста.

Огромная благодарность всему коллективу церкви за добрые дела.

Любовь (Украина)

Veronica from Colombia in E3 In-person Class

English classes have significantly helped me improve my language development in everyday aspects of life. Each lesson contains information that I can immediately apply in my daily routine. During the third level of English, I took half of the course online via Zoom and the other part in person during Friday morning classes. In each lesson, I have learned new vocabulary, tips to improve my pronunciation, how to construct questions and answers properly, and to listen to audios related to each reading. Additionally, interacting with teachers and classmates has helped me improve my listening skills, focusing on different accents from various regions of the world. It has also challenged me to advance in my speaking so that listeners can understand what I want to communicate. I have improved my pronunciation with the “The Color Vowel” tool, a fantastic technique for enhancing phonemes!

Another important aspect to highlight is the Bible lessons, which have helped me deepen my knowledge of this book and learn many stories that allow me to know more about God and Jesus. For me, it was also important to emphasize the teaching about the Great Commission, learning how others have taken the gospel to different regions of the world and helped many people who have not yet had the opportunity to have a close relationship with our Saviour to know the plan of salvation for us.

In Spanish:

Las clases de inglés me han ayudado significativamente a mejorar mi desarrollo del lenguaje en aspectos de la vida cotidiana. Cada lección contiene información que puedo aplicar inmediatamente en mi día a día. Durante el tercer nivel de inglés, tomé la mitad del curso en línea por medio de Zoom y la otra parte en persona durante las clases de los viernes por la mañana. En cada lección, he aprendido nuevo vocabulario, consejos para mejorar mi pronunciación, cómo construir adecuadamente preguntas y respuestas, y a escuchar audios relacionados con cada lectura. Adicionalmente, la interacción con los profesores y los compañeros de clase me ha ayudado a mejorar mi capacidad de escucha, enfocándome en los diferentes acentos de diversas regiones del mundo. También me ha retado a avanzar en mi expresión oral, para que ellos puedan entender lo que quiero comunicar. He mejorado mi pronunciación con la herramienta “The Color Vowel”, ¡una técnica genial para perfeccionar los fonemas!

Otro aspecto importante a destacar son las lecciones de la Biblia, que me han ayudado a profundizar más en mi conocimiento sobre este libro y a conocer muchas historias que me permiten conocer más a Dios y a Jesús. Para mí, también fue importante resaltar la enseñanza sobre la Gran Comisión, aprendiendo cómo otros han llevado el evangelio a diferentes regiones del mundo y han ayudado a muchas personas que aún no han tenido la oportunidad de tener una relación cercana con nuestro Salvador a conocer el plan de salvación para nosotros.

Jenny from Mexico in E5 In-person Class

My name is Jenny, and I came from Mexico a few years ago. I attended the ESL Advanced 2 class (Friday in person). I was doing my homework when I realized how much I had improved in the last few months since I started the ESL program and how thankful I am because of that!

The ESL program helped me upgrade my vocabulary and my communication skills. In each class, we study from an adult ESL text book. We also learn about the word of the Gospel through the knowledge and experiences of my teachers. My classmates are people from different parts of the world, and it’s amazing how we have a deep connection through the Gospel.

The ESL experience changed my life in Canada. I used to feel frustrated because I couldn’t’t understand my daughter’s teacher and got lost finding an address. Now, I feel confident enough to apply, study, and get a good score on the Board Exam to get my license as a Doctor in Canada. I know that there is still a long way to go to get my license, but I have a good foundation from ESL Willingdon Ministry. I hope my testimony can help more immigrants to be inspired, and never give up following the path of our Lord Jesus Christ to start their lives in a new country that we call Home.

In Spanish:

Mi nombre es Jenny, inmigre de Mexico hace algunos anos. Fui parte de ESL Programa Avanzado (en persona). Estaba haciendo mi trabajo cuando me di cuenta lo mucho que mejorado en mi ingles desde hace unos meses desde que inicie en el programa ESL y lo agradecida que me siento por ello.
El Programa ESL me ayudo a mejorar mi vocabulario y mis habilidades de comunicación. En cada clase en estudiamos el ESL libro para adultos y también aprendemos sobre la Biblia a través del conocimiento y la experiencia de nuestros maestros. Mis compañeros son personas de todo el mundo y es increíble la colección tan profunda que tenemos a través de la palabra de Dios.
Mi experiencia en el programa ESL, me ayudo a cambiar mi modo de vida. Era frustrante para mi no poder entender a los maestros de mi hija o extraviarme en la ciudad al no poder encontrar una dirección. Ahora, me siento mas segura incluso para poder aplicar, estudia, y obtener una calificación alta en el examen para obtener mi licencia como Doctor. Yo se que todavía me falta mucho camino por recorrer para obtener mi licencia, pero el programa ESL me dio las bases necesarias para hacerlo. Espero que mi testimonio pueda inspirar a otros inmigrantes como you nunca rendirse, a seguir el camino de Jesus nuestro Salvador para superarse en este nuevo país que llamamos Hogar.