Social connections are key: Experiences of immigrant women learning English as an additional language (EAL)

Learning an additional language as an adult can be daunting and can present a variety of challenges for newcomers to Canada, including immigrant women. In order to highlight the learning experiences of immigrant women, I explore how some immigrant women learn EAL within a community located in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, Canada and take into account various perspectives. In particular, I examine challenges they face and review how EAL programs and educators currently provide settlement support through a variety of programs and initiatives and provide further suggestions in order to optimize settlement. My methodology is qualitative and includes in-person interviews, classroom observations as well as personal reflections. My findings suggest that social connections are extremely valuable and beneficial in supporting language learning and settlement. Unfortunately, they may not be formally recognized as a central goal of all English language programs.