National Adult Literacy Database

October 17, 2005

This week, we have a story written by a student from St. Catharines, Ontario. Fawzi Jasim is originally from Bahrain and came to Canada in May 1997. He came here hoping to further his education. He loves to volunteer in the community and has won awards for doing this. He feels helping others helps him to have a good life. He is also a very good chef and loves to cook for the class and for different multicultural events he attends. He appreciates this community and is committed to give back to the best of his ability. His goal for the future is to write a book for refugees and multiculturalism and to use his talents to better the community.

Building Better Communication Among Canadians

by Fawzi Jasim

Literacy can bridge the gap between learners and teachers, for example between children and parents. Little children have a great capacity to receive and memorize some good stories from television. Newcomer children learn more easily than newcomer adults. They can express their emotions and feelings through transitions in their lives in their new culture. They are eager to learn just like Canadian children and their tongues can more easily deal with the Canadian way of pronouncing vowels and consonants.

Parents make great sacrifices to bring their children to this new country. They are planting seeds so the children will have a brighter future. The children will receive the water of education in Canada and will become the most colorful flowers. The children will adapt to their new culture and pass it back to their parents. The parents will endeavor to comprehend what their children are learning at school and better understand the Canadian way of life. As the family grows closer in their understanding of the Canadian culture they will prosper. The children gain a new spirit of inspiration when they receive an education. This is a magnificent spirit to a brighter future. As parents and children share and talk about what they are learning, they develop an interdependency that comes from the communication of education. For example, bicycle safety. All children should have opportunities to learn the importance of riding bicycles safely, respecting others on the road, cars and pedestrians around them. It is also very important that they wear helmets.

Another area of concern is where children swim. They can drown very easily and should always be supervised by an adult. Through education adults and children will embrace a healthy lifestyle. Education is the foundation, which can help children have a successful, prosperous future. Parents need to adjust their parenting style in Canada, giving their children more respect, more independence and freedom to learn and discover many new things in their lives that will bring them closer. Parents of newcomer children are planting seeds in valuable soil, the soil of Canada.