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Learning English with CBC

Edmonton

Monthly feature story:

Immigration challenges

May 2013 Lesson plans created by Justine Light

http://www.cbc.ca/edmonton/learning‐english/ www.alberta.ca


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Feature Story Objectives

Immigration challenges

CLB competency outcomes Listening: Reading: Speaking: Writing:

L: Identify factual details and some implied meanings in extended narration; identify situation, purpose of speech, and relationship between speakers. R: Access, locate, integrate, interpret, and analyze information contained in a two or three page moderately complex text on a familiar or work related topic; draw conclusions. S: (knowledge and strategies) Produce intelligible and communicatively effective pronunciation W: Take notes from a written text without plagiarizing

Language skills Vocabulary: Use vocabulary words in context

Grammar: Understand the use and meaning of ‘To be going to’ to describe future plans

Pronunciation: Understanding and practicing the pronunciation of –ed endings

Language Activities (in order of appearance in materials)

Considering discussion questions about a short background text on adjusting to life in Alberta Completing pre‐listening activities to build vocabulary and prepare learners for audio Listening to the audio to identify facts and details Listening to audio to recognise which speakers expressed different facts and opinions Recognising different patterns of pronunciation related to –ed endings Identifying the meaning uses of ‘To be going to’ Completing pre‐ reading vocabulary activity Scanning text and making inferences to select relevant information Forming questions about a written text Taking notes from a written text using note‐taking template while avoiding plagiarism


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Introduction

Background Reading:

Working In Alberta – A guide for internationally trained and educated immigrants, Alberta Human Services

http://alis.alberta.ca/ep/careershop/showproduct.html?DisplayCode=PRODUCT&EntityKey=3527

For many years, people from all over the world have come to Alberta seeking new opportunities and a new way of life. Alberta is a province of immigrants. Alberta is a safe and prosperous place to live, work and raise children. This is due in large part to the contribution of newcomers. Now, as much as ever, Alberta needs people like you to help ensure our province continues to grow and prosper. Alberta needs people with the skills and knowledge necessary to keep our economy strong.

Coping with change

Making the decision to come to Alberta may have been one of the most important and challenging things you have ever done. You and your family may be finding it difficult to adapt to a new province, a new country and a new way of life. You may have already learned a new language. Now you are learning about living in a new culture, community and society. You may be looking for a job to help support yourself and your family. Your new life means change. By getting the information and support you need, you can be better prepared to deal with that change. The better prepared you are, the more able you are to take control and make the career decisions and choices that work for you. If you are having difficulty coping with change, there are organizations that can help. Most phone book white pages include a list of emergency numbers at the front. Look for organizations listed under titles like “social services,” “support network” or “immigrant agency.” You can also contact

an immigrant‐serving agency to put you in touch with the appropriate agency.

Food for thought

What advice would you give to

newcomers coming to Canada

about finding work and other

aspects of living in Alberta?

“People come here because they want a different life. That is the main reason. Canada is not all about getting a job. Look at the people who came before you. They had a plan. They stayed positive. They enjoyed life. Mental health—it means a lot. I came as a refugee. I would be killed if I went back. Before I came, I captained a ship and worked in business. When I first came, I delivered pizza. When I work with immigrants who are getting discouraged, I ask them if they would go back to their home country. Most say they would not.” Immigrant who came to Alberta as a refugee and now leads a large organization


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The Audio

In this audio, you will hear CBC producer Mark Harvey describing the work related immigration challenges of Jayanth Manilall, an experienced dentist from South Africa who has not yet been able to achieve his goal of becoming a dentist in Canada.

CBC file photo: Jayanth Maniall

Before you listen:

What are some of the challenges you have faced as an immigrant to Alberta?

SPEAKER TITLE: IMMIGRATION CHALLENGES

0:00 Adrienne The story of highly educated immigrants driving cabs in Canada is a reality for one man in Sherwood Park. CBC Producer Mark Harvey talked to a dentist who's decided to “Go Public” about the struggles thousands of foreign‐trained professionals face every day, trying to become qualified. Good morning


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Pre‐listening vocabulary

The words below are from the audio. The definitions are next to the words. Read the definitions then complete the sentences.

WORD DEFINITION

A. struggles (noun) a long and continuing effort to overcome a challenge or difficulty

B. practiced (verb) Used to describe medical, legal and other professional work

C. capable (adjective) skilled at doing something, able to do something well

D. figure out (verb) find the solution to a problem

E. uphill battle (noun phrase) a difficult task or situation

F. fierce (adjective) strong and powerful, difficult to overcome

G. odds are stacked (against)

(idiom)

it is very unlikely to succeed because of the difficult position you are

in

H. rusty (adjective) when you lose a skill because you are not using it regularly

I. on the sideline (idiom) to not be actively involved in something but watching it happen

J. mock ‐up (adjective) a practice situation for testing a real life situation

K. toll (noun) suffering caused by a difficult situation

L. slip away (verb) to lose a skill or memory as time passes

M. eliminate (verb) to get rid of

N. take (noun) point of view, opinion

O. re‐hone (verb) to make your skills better by using them


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Use the vocabulary words to complete the following sentences. (Answers can be found in the appendix.)

1. I helped my daughter ______________________ where to go for her classes on the

first day at her new school.

2. Taking care of my sick grandmother has really taken a ______________________

on my physical health.

3. Can you ask me questions as part of a ______________________ interview so I

won’t be so nervous about the real interview.

4. Some people expressed ______________________ opposition to the council’s plan

for a new hockey arena.

5. I learned to bake when I was a child but I need to ______________________ my

skills as I have forgotten so much.

6. My mother overcame many ______________________ when she came to Canada

as a young mother of two children with no English.

7. My doctor has ______________________ medicine in a number of different

countries, including France, Great Britain and Australia.

8. I want to ______________________ all of the junk food in my children’s diet.

9. My grandfather wants to keep driving but the _______________________________

against him because he is losing his vision.

10. I learned French in high school but I am very ______________________ these days

because I never use it.

11. My wife’s ______________________ on the idea to build a new arena is that the

council should not ask citizens to pay for it.

12. Becoming a teacher in Canada has been an ______________________ but I am glad

I spent the time and money to achieve my goal.

13. My grandmother’s memories of her childhood growing up in Saskatchewan are

______________________ as she gets older.

14. During the meeting I was very nervous about giving my opinion so I spent most of

the time ______________________ .

15. The teacher is a very ______________________ musician but he is not the best

teacher for junior high school kids.


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Listening for meaning Listen to the interview and answer the following questions.

1. In which countries has Jayanth Manilall practiced dentistry? 2. What informal information did Manilall get about his chances of passing the dentistry

exams on his first attempt? 3. What is the required mark for internationally trained dentists to pass their exams to

pass and progress to the next level? 4. How many places are available in Canadian dental colleges for international applicants? 5. Explain why Manilall’s dentistry skills have become rusty. 6. How much money has Manilall spent on trying to become a dentist in Canada? 7. What other jobs has Manilall done while trying to become a dentist? 8. What solution is Manilall proposing in order to be successful in his last chance to qualify

as a dentist in Canada?

(Answers can be found in the appendix.)


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Listening strategies – Who said what?

The goal of the listening strategies section of the monthly feature lesson is to help you to improve your listening skills for all listening situations– not just this audio.

Can you keep track of who said what and who expressed which feelings? What was journalist Mark Harvey’s opinion and what did immigrant dentist, Jayanth Manilall say? Which opinions were expressed by Alberta Dental Association President, Randall Crutze and which by Bredin Institute director, Debbie MacDonald?

Listen to the audio again. Put a check mark in the column for what each person expressed. There may be more than one check mark in a row if more than one person expressed the same thing.

Comment Mark Harvey – Journalist

Jayanth Manilall – internationally educated dentist

Randall Crutze ‐ Alberta Dental Association President

Debbie MacDonald – Bredin Institute

Coming to Canada, he was confident he would be able to practice his medical profession.

Becoming a dentist in Canada is a difficult challenge.

Internationally educated immigrants often get the wrong information about how to be successful on these exams.

Those international applicants who pass the Canadian dentistry exams are well prepared to work as dentists in Canada.

The exams are strict to protect Canadians.

Some internationally educated dentists do not have qualifications.

There will be a shortage of dentists in the next few years.


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Building Speaking Skills1

Pronunciation: ‐ed endings.

The –ed ending of words is pronounced differently depending on the sound that comes before it. The chart below shows the three different pronunciations of –ed.

/t/ sound /d/ sound /Id/ sound

helped (sounds like helpt)

kissed

kicked

miffed

washed

watched

planned (sounds like pland)

followed

saved

pleased

banged

seated (sounds like seat‐id)

stranded

The following words are all spoken in the podcast. Try to place the words in the correct category on the chart. Use the examples to help you

educated decided qualified moved planned practiced

showed figured started discovered passed

accepted stacked allowed depressed eliminated

Tip: Listen for –ed endings when you are listening to the radio and watching T.V. When you are speaking, correct yourself if you make a mistake.

Shadowing: Now listen to these clips from the podcast again.

JAYANTH When I wrote the first exam and met people and realized that people were telling me that they hadn't seen me before....I said so, what do you mean you haven't seen me before? Guy told me you' know everyone else here I’ve seen the last 5, 6 times, and I thought he was joking, that they were trying for so many times for the exam. And then I figured out that you know lots and lots of people were writing the exam over and over again. And then I started to realize that it's a real uphill battle then.


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MARK Well it's very competitive and very expensive. When Manilall came to Canada there was only one way to qualify: if you successfully passed those tough exams you had to then try and get accepted into one of just about 75 spots in Canadian dental colleges. The competition for those spots was fierce and the tuition about a hundred thousand dollars. There's now another way to qualify, but the odds are still stacked. More on that in a few moments. Second factor is it takes years to qualify and during that whole time you're not allowed to do any dentistry. Now by contrast, Manilall's wife was able to work in her field, under supervision, while she studied and took her exams. His skills meanwhile were getting rusty, and the profession was changing while he was on the sidelines.

Practice saying the passage at the same time as Jayanth and Mark. Try to sound exactly like them. Pay attention to –ed endings. You can practice as many times as you want!

Extra Practice: Tell someone you know a story about a time when someone helped you with a problem you were having (e.g., your car broke down). While you are speaking pay attention to the –ed endings of your past tense verbs!


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Grammar Activity – Talking about the future using ‘going to’ When we are talking about the future we can use a number of different verb structures, including will, be going to and even the present continuous.

In particular the future can be described using ‘be going to’ in the following situations2:

• future predictions – informal

Jessica is going to graduate next spring.

I’m sure that Pierre’s going to get a promotion.

• future plans especially when based on an earlier decision

Jessica and Dave are going to get married in Jasper in the fall.

I am going to rent out my basement suite when my son leaves home in September.

• future events that are certain based on some present evidence

Marie is going to have a baby.

That cut is going to need stitches.

Looking at that sky, I think it is going to snow this afternoon.

• future events using a stative verb when the present progressive won’t work

My new job is going to involve a lot of travelling.

NOT POSSIBLE: My new job is involving a lot of travelling.

Involve is a stative verb so a continuous form is not possible.

In this case use the ‘be going to’ form.

Look at this excerpt from the transcript of the audio.

MARK Well, he has one final chance to qualify here in Canada. So what he is going to do is to re‐sharpen his clinical skills, and re‐hone his self‐confidence. To do that he's going to go back to South Africa. He's going to leave his family behind for anywhere between 4 months and a year and a half. He’s going to go and work in a friend's clinic in South Africa so he can re‐build his skills and his self‐confidence.

How is ‘be going to’ used to talk about the future?

2 Celce‐Murcia, M,. & Larsen – Freeman, D. (1999). The grammar book. Heinle & Heinle. Adapted


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Reading Activity Working In Alberta – A guide for internationally trained and

educated immigrants: Networking

Pre‐reading vocabulary

The following vocabulary activity will help you to understand the reading below.

Match each word to its correct definition.

(Answers can be found in the appendix.)

1. links A. encourage people get to know you better or to hire you

2. acquaintance B. clearly defined and explained

3. ease C. connections between people, ideas, places

4. job opening D. get used to something over time

5. job leads E. allowed, permitted

6. specific F. suggestions of other people or place to talk to; suggestion of a person for a job

7. referrals G. a person you have met but do not know well

8. promoting (oneself) H. an employment vacancy

9. entitled I. information about a possible job


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Working In Alberta – A guide for internationally trained and educated immigrants: Networking

Networking is an organized way to make links from the people you know to the people they know. It is a process of linking contacts together to form a “net” of personal contacts that can provide support and information. Networking involves asking people for advice, information and referrals to others. You can network anywhere and any time you are talking to people. Your circle of friends, acquaintances, counsellors and advice‐givers can help you connect with many others who may be able to help you find the information you need.

How do you network when you are new to Alberta?

There are many ways to network, both formal and informal. Ease into it by talking to the people around you. Maybe it is the other parents sitting beside you at your child’s school event. Or perhaps there is a coffee gathering at your place of worship. Your new neighbour may work in an industry or occupation that interests you or may know someone you should talk to. You will never know until you ask. People whose work involves a lot of contact with other people can be particularly helpful. Get to know your community and the people in it. Teachers, counsellors, religious leaders, health‐care professionals and community leaders are good possibilities. Be sure to talk to anyone you know in these fields and tell them about your skills and work search. They may have heard about a job opening and you could be the right person for it. Visit an immigrant‐serving agency as soon as you can to make connections to other people in the community.

Who is in your network?

On a sheet of paper, list all of the people you know. Do not worry about how well you know them. Write down what you know about each person. Include their contact information such as address, phone number and e‐mail address. You can even make a note of how you know them, for example “Gina’s friend.” If you know, also write down what they do for a living. This list can help you identify possible contacts for use later on. Keep adding to the list as you meet more people. You will soon have a long list of people in your network.

Networking tips

• Tell anyone and everyone that you are looking for career and employment information and/or job leads. Do not ask them for a job. Ask your friends, relatives and acquaintances to stay aware of any opportunities that might interest you.

• Review your list of all the people you know. Decide which ones to contact first. Have a business card made up that briefly describes your qualifications. Include your name, telephone and fax numbers, and e‐mail address.

• Make your information request specific. Tell people exactly what you need to know and


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describe the type of people you need to meet. Describe the kind of job you are looking for and your qualifications.

• Ask for referrals. If the people you speak to do not have the information you need, ask them to refer you to others who might.

• Keep at it. If your contacts do not have the information, ask if they know anyone else who does.

Using business cards as a networking tool

When you talk to people, give them a business card. This way they can contact you if they hear something that might be helpful to you. Business cards are a way to show you are serious about promoting yourself. You can create business cards on a computer at home. For a more professional look, have business cards printed at an office supply store that will print a large number of cards for a reasonable price.

“My advice to new immigrants trying to get work? Get out and network with as many different kinds of people as you can. There are so many places you can network: with others who work in the same occupation as you, with people who are from the same country, with your cultural group, with people in your neighbourhood. If you have school‐age children, get to know the other parents. You never know who they know.” Kathryn, a physician who immigrated to Alberta from South Africa 15 years ago

Alexandra—The power of networking

Alexandra emigrated from the United States to Alberta because her new husband has family here. Before she arrived, she had a two‐year diploma from a business college and was well on her way to a successful career in banking. She had already received her Canadian residency card and Social Insurance Number (SIN), which legally entitled her to work in Alberta. Alexandra was anxious to start work. Happily, that’s when an opportunity arose. Her husband’s aunt regularly attended an exercise class and asked Alexandra if she wanted to come along for some recreation and to meet some other women. Alexandra was a bit nervous but agreed. Not only did she enjoy the socializing and exercise, she also learned that one of the other women worked for a local bank. Alexandra mentioned that she was looking for work and the bank worker said she’d give her name to her bank manager. She also gave the manager’s name to Alexandra to use in her cover letter. A few days later, Alexandra talked to another woman in the class. She offered to help her write her resumé and cover letter. Alexandra made changes to these documents and included them with her application form to the bank. She got an interview and was hired about two weeks later. Through her husband’s aunt, Alexandra created a network for herself by talking to many different people and making new connections. She was nervous at first but realized that people are usually happy to help and share their expertise. Now that she has a job, Alexandra plans on making more connections and building her networking skills. http://alis.alberta.ca/ep/careershop/showproduct.html?DisplayCode=PRODUCT&EntityKey=3527


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Reading for meaning

Read the following statements. Identify whether the statements are true or false.

(Answers can be found in the appendix).

1. Networking can help immigrants who are trying to meet people when searching for

employment. TRUE/FALSE

2. Networking should only take place in the workplace. TRUE/FALSE

3. Only close friends and family will be part of your network. TRUE/FALSE

4. When you are networking it is not a good idea to ask people directly for a job.

TRUE/FALSE

5. Giving out a business card can help show others that you are serious about yourself

and finding employment. TRUE/FALSE

6. It is best to print out your own business cards. TRUE/FALSE

7. Networking can lead to unexpected information about jobs. TRUE/FALSE


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Reading Strategies ‐ Guess the question

Read the “Strategies for Success in Searching for Work” text, one more time. As you are reading, keep the

following word pairs in mind. You will create questions about work‐search strategies using these words:

1. potential community 2. network list 3. say goals 4. promote professional 5. Alexandra network

Then, find the answers to the questions in the text and write them in the spaces below. Here’s an example:

1. Who are some people in your community you may want to meet for your networking?

parents at your child’s school/neighbours/ teachers/counsellors/religious leaders/ healthcare

providers/ community leaders.

2. Who should _______________________________________________________________________?

3. What should you __________________________________________________________?

4. How can you ____________________________________________________________________?

5. How did _____________________________________________________________________________?


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Writing Activity

Look at the reading text above. Often when you are doing research in college or university, you will need to take notes from a written text. It is important not to copy the text word for word. Copying from a text is called plagiarism. If you use your notes to write to essay and you forget to change the words into your own, you will be plagiarising. This is an illegal activity in academic life.

Use the table below to guide your note taking from the Networking text.

It can also help to use abbreviations when you are taking notes from a text.

The definition of networking

Examples of people who can be part of your network

How to prioritize your network connections

The role of business cards in networking

Advice from physician from South Africa

Experience from an immigrant from the United States

Sample answers in the appendix


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Links A guide for internationally trained and educated immigrants published by the Government

of Alberta

http://alis.alberta.ca/ep/careershop/showproduct.html?DisplayCode=PRODUCT&EntityKey=3527

Alberta Dental Association and College

http://oralhealthalberta.ca/

Information about getting credentials recognized in Alberta, Alberta Enterprise and

Advanced Education:

http://eae.alberta.ca/labour‐and‐immigration/overview‐of‐immigration/international‐

qualifications‐assessment‐service.aspx

Information about getting credentials recognized in Canada, Citizenship and Immigration

Canada:

http://www.credentials.gc.ca/

Information about getting credentials recognized in Calgary

http://www.calgary.ca/CS/HR/Pages/Careers/International‐and‐Cross‐Canada‐

Credentials.aspx

Watch a series of videos about immigrating to Canada, (from CIC) including one immigrant’s

experience of networking:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9on27XQpJmw


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Appendix ‐ Answer Keys

Pre‐listening vocabulary

1. I helped my daughter figure out where to go for her classes on the first day at her

new school.

2. Taking care of my sick grandmother has really taken a toll on my physical health.

3. Can you ask me questions as part of a mock‐up interview so I won’t be so nervous

about the real interview.

4. Some people expressed fierce opposition to the council’s plan for a new hockey

arena.

5. I learned to bake when I was a child but I need to re‐hone my skills as I have

forgotten so much.

6. My mother overcame many struggles when she came to Canada as a young mother

of two children with no English.

7. My doctor has practiced medicine in a number of different countries, including

France, Great Britain and Australia.

8. I want to eliminate all of the junk food in my children’s diet.

9. My grandfather wants to keep driving but the odds are stacked against him because

he is losing his vision.

10. I learned French in high school but I am very rusty these days because I never use it.

11. My wife’s take on the idea to build a new arena is that the council should not ask

citizens to pay for it.

12. Becoming a teacher in Canada has been an uphill battle but I am glad I spent the

time and money to achieve my goal.

13. My grandmother’s memories of her childhood growing up in Saskatchewan are

slipping away as she gets older.

14. During the meeting I was very nervous about giving my opinion so I spent most of

the time on the sidelines.

15. The teacher is a very capable musician but he is not the best teacher for junior high

school kids.


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Listening for meaning 1. In which countries has Jayanth Manilall practiced dentistry? South Africa and the UK 2. What informal information did Manilal get about his chances of passing the dentistry

exams on his first attempt? He heard that it was very unlikely he would pass the exam the first time and that many people write the exam multiple times. 3. What is the required mark for internationally trained dentists to pass their exams to

pass and progress to the next level? 85 or 90% 4. How many places are available in Canadian dental colleges for international applicants?? 75 5. Explain why Manilall’s dentistry skills have become rusty. He came to Canada six years ago and has not had the chance to practice dentistry since he arrived. He is not allowed to work as a dentist until he qualifies unlike his wife who is practicing OT while she studies for her exam. 6. How much money has Manilall spent on trying to become a dentist in Canada? $40,000 7. What other jobs has Manilall done while trying to become a dentist? Selling cars, selling appliances, delivering newspapers, waiter, driving cabs 8. What solution is Manilall proposing in order to be successful in his last chance to qualify

as a dentist in Canada? He is going back to South Africa to sharpen his clinical skills and build his self-confidence.


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Listening strategies – Who said what?

Comment Mark Harvey – Journalist

Jayanth Manilall – internationally educated dentist

Randall Crutze ‐ Alberta Dental Association President

Debbie MacDonald – Bredin Institute

Coming to Canada he was confident he would be able to practice his medical profession.

✔

Becoming a dentist in Canada is a difficult challenge.

✔ ✔

Internationally educated immigrants often get the wrong information about how to be successful on these exams.

✔

Those international applicants who pass the Canadian dentistry exams are well prepared to work as dentists in Canada.

✔

The exams are strict to protect Canadians.

✔

Some internationally educated dentists do not have qualifications.

✔

There will be a shortage of dentists in the next few years.

✔


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Speaking skills ‐ ‐ed endings

/t/ sound /d/ sound /Id/ sound

helped (sounds like helpt)

practiced

passed

stacked

depressed

planned (sounds like pland)

qualified

moved

planned

showed

figured

discovered

allowed

seated (sounds like seat‐id)

educated

decided

started

accepted

eliminated

Reading Activity Pre‐reading vocabulary

1. links C A. encourage people get to know you better or to hire you

2. acquaintance G B. clearly defined and explained

3. ease into D C. connections between people, ideas, places

4. job opening H D. get used to something over time

5. job leads I E. allowed, permitted

6. specific B F. suggestions of other people or place to talk to; suggestion of a person for a job

7. referrals F G. a person you have met but do not know well

8. promoting (oneself) A H. an employment vacancy

9. entitled E I. information about a possible job


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Reading for meaning

1. Networking can help immigrants who are trying to meet people when searching for

employment. TRUE

2. Networking should only take place in the workplace. FALSE

3. Only close friends and family will be part of your network. FALSE

4. When you are networking it is not a good idea to ask people directly for a job. TRUE

5. Giving out a business card can help show others that you are serious about yourself

and finding employment. TRUE

6. It is best to print out your own business cards. FALSE

7. Networking can lead to unexpected information about jobs. TRUE

Reading Strategies

1. Who are some potential people in the community to include in your networking?

parents at your child’s school/neighbours/ teachers/counsellors/religious leaders/ healthcare

providers/ community leaders.

2. Who should be on you networking list?

All the people that you know

3. What should you say to people on your network list about your goals?

That you are looking for information about job opportunities – do not ask them directly for a job.

4. How can you promote yourself in a professional way?

Use professionally printed business cards

5. How did Alexandra use networking to find a job?

She joined an exercise class with her aunt and networked with the women there.

Writing activity – Sample answers

The definition of networking A systematic way to make connections within the community to find people who can give support and information & help you find out about job opportunities.

Examples of people who can be part of your network

Parents of children’s friends

Teachers

Counsellors


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religious leaders

health care professionals

Community leaders

Immigrant serving agencies

How to prioritize your network connections

List everyone you know and then put people who are most likely to be able to help me at the top of my list. Keep adding to the list as you meet new people.

The role of business cards in networking Giving out business cards show that you are thoughtful and professional and that you are serious about finding a job. It is best to get cards printed professionally.

Advice from physician from South Africa Meet as many people as you can. Think about the number of different people you know from your home country – from your cultural group – with your neighbours – parents of children’s friends

Experience from immigrant from the United States

Joined an exercise class with her aunt, talked with people there and mentioned she was looking for work. One woman in the class gave her a contact, while another helped her with her resume and application. This networking led to her being successful in getting a job.


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Appendix – Transcript

SPEAKER TITLE: IMMIGRATION CHALLENGES 0:00 Adrienne

Lamb The story of highly educated immigrants driving cab in Canada is a reality for one man in Sherwood Park. CBC Producer Mark Harvey talked to a dentist who's decided to “Go Public” about the struggles thousands of foreign‐trained professionals face every day, trying to become qualified. Good morning.

0:20 Mark Harvey Morning, Adrienne.

0:22 Adrienne So who is this man? 0:23 Mark He's Jayanth Manilall. He lives in Sherwood Park with his wife and three children. He's 46

years old, and has a degree in dentistry from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. He practiced dentistry for 16 years, including 4 years in the UK. They moved to Canada six years ago. His wife is an occupational therapist and they both planned to get accredited here in Canada, so they could work in their fields. Manilall knew he'd have to pass exams before he could be a dentist, but he was confident that with his experience and education he would succeed.

0:53 Jayanth Manilal

You know I practiced for 16 years and four of them in London so when I left, I knew I was very capable and could work, and you know be of service to the community.

1:07 Adrienne So that’s what Manilall thought. When did things start to go wrong? 1:11 Mark He got his first inkling of how hard it would be when he showed up for his first exam 1:16 Jayanth When I wrote the first exam and met people and realized that people were telling me that

they hadn't seen me before. I said so, what do you mean you haven't seen me before? Guy told me you' know everyone else here I've seen the last 5, 6 times, and I thought he was joking, that they were trying for so many times for the exam. And then I figured out that you know that lots and lots of people that are just writing the exam, over and over again. And then I started to realized that it's a real uphill battle.

1:46 Mark He discovered that just passing the exams was not going to be enough, that in order to progress to the next level he was going to need 85% or 90%.

1:55 Adrienne Why so difficult? 1:57 Mark Well it is very competitive and very expensive. When Manilall came to Canada there was

only one way to qualify; if you succesfully passed those tough exams you had to then try and get accepted into one of just about 75 spots in Canadian dental colleges. The competition for those spots was fierce and the tuition about a hundred thousand dollars. There's now another way to qualify, but the odds are still stacked. More on that in a few moments. Second factor is it takes years to qualify and during that whole time you're not allowed to do any dentistry. Now by contrast, Manilall's wife was able to work in her field, under supervision, while she studied and took her exams. His skills meanwhile were getting rusty, and the profession was changing while he was sitting on the sidelines.

2:43 Adrienne Now how common is this do you think?


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2:45 Mark Well apparently it is very common. Debbie MacDonald is executive director of the Bredin Institute here in Edmonton. It’s an organization that helps immigrants learn the licensing process and even has a mock‐up lab where they can practice their procedures. MacDonald says foreign trained professionals often waste a lot of time and money trying to qualify.

3:04 Debbie MacDonald

Feedback on exams is not available. So often times they start talking to one another and they get advice from one another on where they think they went wrong. Often puts them in the wrong direction. They start studying the wrong things again. They're not aware of the things they need to improve upon, so they go back and write that exam again and they fall short again.

3:23 Mark Adrienne, by the time Manilall had heard about the help that he could get from the Bredin Institute he'd already spent years, and what he estimates is about 40 thousand dollars on textbooks, study materials, exam fees and just travelling to the exam places. But more than the money, there was the psychological and emotional toll this all took.

3:44 Jayanth It's been a nightmare in the sense you are something but you feel as though it's been taken away. It's hard to get used to that idea that...or you fear that you know you've lost what you are. Your self‐esteem and your confidence drops. Like I say, you go through depressive times, and question yourself.

4:10 Mark Manilall thinks that he was seriously depressed when he tried to take at least one exam, and that it seriously affected his performance then. So for the past few years while he has been trying to qualify, he's been selling cars, selling appliances, delivering newspapers, waiting on tables. And, most recently he's been driving cabs for 12‐hour shifts on Fridays and Saturday nights. And he feels the profession he loves is slipping away.

4:34 Adrienne So you tell this story, I am wondering about how fair this system really is? 4:38 Mark Well you know it probably is more fair than it was six years ago when he first started.

Governments and the dental profession then realized there were too many barriers for foreign dentists. An alternate system starting in 2010 eliminated the need to go back to dental school. But more than 80% of applicants that go into this still fail to make it through. The National Dental Examination Board runs this process. Now, it would not agree to do an interview with me. But, the Alberta Dental Association College did speak with me. Dr Randall Crutze (krootzee) says there are several reasons why so few foreign‐trained dentists succeed in this country including that some of them have simply no qualifications at all. They may come from countries where you can simply buy a dentistry license off the shelf. Now, this is not the case with Jayanth Manilall. But Doctor Crutze says he is satisfied with the evaluation procedure that’s in place.

5:33 Randall Crutze

I think that a hundred per cent of those people that are successful in that are going to do very well in private practice in Canada and will succeed. Which is an improvement on other arrangements that we've had in the past, where unfortunately dentists may have been allowed to be registered and then found that they did not integrate well into the health care system here in Canada. So, if there is an error, it's on the side of ensuring public protection. And that I can assure you.

6:00 Adrienne And that’s a spokesperson from the Alberta Dental Association and college with their take. I am wondering what’s going to happen to Mr. Manilall?


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6:06 Mark Well, he has one final chance to qualify here in Canada. So what he is going to do is to re‐sharpen his clinical skills, and re‐hone his self‐confidence, to do that he's going to go back to South Africa. He's going to leave his family behind for anywhere between 4 months and a year and a half. He’s going to go and work in a friend's clinic over in South Africa so he can re‐build his skills and his self‐confidence.

6:30 Adrienne So you say this is his one last shot. What happens if he’s not successful? 6:34 Mark Well in that eventuality, even though the family is happy here living in Sherwood Park, he’s

going to look at emigrating to a country where it's easier for him to be a dentist, countries such as the UK, or Australia.

6:46 Jayanth That's all I know is being a dentist I don't know anything else. I've tried to do other things, tried to look for other options, things that I might like or do another course that I could earn a living at but I haven't come across it. And I realize that I miss dentistry, and that's who I am.

7:04 Mark By the way, the Alberta government says that the need for dentists here is going to be above average for the next few years, because of economic growth and the number of dentists who are planning to retire.

7:15 Adrienne Thank you Mark. 7:17 Mark You’re welcome.

Documents

May Edmonton monthly BE - CBC.ca · PDF file · 2013-05-02Working In Alberta – A guide for internationally trained and educated ... of highly educated immigrants driving cabs in