Yellowknife (Sep 29/04) - As workers flock to Yellowknife for jobs in the booming diamond industry, their children face challenges of their own.

Beyond the stiff task of adjusting to a new home, lies a problem of universal proportions: learning a foreign language.

But five teachers at Weledeh Catholic school are working on a solution and they need the public's help.

The group -- Simone Gessler, Rose Jackson, Rachel Gautier, Rachel Tsistinas and Maria Anthony -- got together last year to start an English as a Second Language (ESL) project under Yellowknife Catholic Schools' Teaching and Learning Fund.

The fund is designed to support initiatives undertaken by teachers to improve learning and classroom experiences for their students and themselves.

The task the Weledeh group set for themselves was "creating an ESL program and implementing ESL teaching in the classroom," explained Gessler, assistant principal and half-time ESL teacher.

Through research studies, discussions and classroom implementation -- what Gessler calls "action research" -- the teachers set out to improve the experience of Yellowknife's young new arrivals.

"Obviously they're quite nervous and reluctant to speak English," Gessler said of her students.

"It's hard enough moving to a new place without having to learn the language."

Weledeh has 42 ESL students this year, hailing from China, the Philippines, Armenia and Mauritius. Last year there were two students from Russia.

Gessler and her colleagues have worked hard to implement their findings in the classroom. As a half-time ESL instructor, Gessler sees some of her students every day and some every other day.

"It's really just starting with the basics," she explained.

"The difference between ESL and language arts is that we get the kids speaking as much as possible."

Gessler said one benefit of ESL programming is that it allows the students to interact on their own terms and removes them from the classroom, where they may be inhibited by other students' command of the language.

Students are grouped in ESL classes by grade and ability, with an emphasis on age-appropriate classes to make it less intimidating.

"There's been a lot of positive feedback (from parents)," said Gessler.

"They're very supportive of their kids learning English."

Gessler added that, so far as she knows, "all the kids in the ESL program speak their first language at home."

Seeking donations

of materials

At the Yellowknife Catholic School Board meeting on September 15, the group presented their findings to the board. They then asked board members to donate any materials they had that would help students learn English.

It's an offer that's open to the public, too.

The group is looking for picture and word flash-cards, sing-along videos, audio tapes, books on tape, games, books, and anything that's "language-rich," said Gessler.

Donated materials can be dropped off at the Weledeh Catholic school office.