Olha

I first arrived in Canada in 2022 from Ukraine searching for peace, safety, and opportunities. I felt a mix of emotions: both joy and fear. I was happy to be given a chance in this new country and I feared the unknown that I would face.

During my first few months, I quickly began to relax. I felt like I was a tourist on vacation on a long-awaited holiday--I wanted to go everywhere and see everything new to me and my family. I was interested in every corner of Canada, including its culture and the people, and I was enjoying my time spent exploring the customs and environment.

But within a short period of time, I realized that my time in Canada is not a vacation, but instead is my new reality of what I must call home--my perfect vacation bubble instantly popped. This realization that Canada is now my home also came with the subsequent realization that there are a large number of problems with many difficult solutions. There are real problems in my new home that arise every day and that need to be solved. One of them is the language barrier--being unable to fully express my needs and wishes in English became a big problem for solving the everyday issues that arose and in adapting to life in Canada. 

It is very difficult when you do not understand the people around you. You feel lonely and disappointed with yourself because you know that English native-speakers want to communicate with you to help you. But since you cannot understand them, you feel terrible. I understand that the core of the issue is my insufficient level of English. 

Additionally, finding work is difficult for a variety of reasons. The fear of having to look for a job is partnered with the panic of having to speak English during interviews. This ties back to my English proficiency. 

I can list many different difficult situations that come when living in a country without knowing the language. But the main thing I want to say is that no matter how difficult it is to return to learning English as an adult, you have to commit to starting to learn again because learning a language is the first step to everything in a new country.

In my opinion, the moment I decided to return to learning was when I understood that I wanted to live in this country as a citizen, not as a tourist. A language is like a door to a country and its people, and I want to enter this door. As long as I keep running away from learning the language, I will never be able to become a citizen. 

I would like to thank the people who go out of their way to help me learn English. Every day, I feel more comfortable in Canada--my new home. I am able to solve everyday problems. I can make an appointment and go to the doctor. I can go with my daughter to a children's birthday party and feel comfortable talking to other parents. 

Maybe some of these are small achievements, but I know that these small achievements are adding up to help me reach the ultimate goal of becoming a citizen of Canada and a part of this beautiful country.