Difficulties faced by residents of Canada who do not have perfect command of English

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The dramatic increase in non-British immigrants into Canada each year has led to an overwhelming growth in the number of residents who do not have perfect command of English. Analyses of data from the 2006 Census on immigration and citizenship, conducted by Statistics Canada, showed that 70 percent of the foreign-born population does not speak English or French as a first language (Citizen and Immigration Canada, 2007). Most of these immigrants speak a first language other than English, and a majority is always not able to communicate effectively in English. With English being the most widely spoken language in Canada, these residents, therefore, face a lot of difficulties amongst which are unemployment, lack of proper education, poor healthcare access, and integration problems. Despite these difficulties, a couple of recommendations can be implemented to help bridge the gap.

There is an ever-increasing importance placed on effective communication in the workplace, which presents greater difficulties for immigrants seeking jobs in Canada. The inability to properly express oneself in English greatly jeopardizes the chances of getting a job, especially one in the immigrant’s field of study. According to the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society (VIRCS), the lack of English proficiency is the main barrier to employment for most immigrants. It prevents many professionals from getting a job where they can utilize their expertise, and is also a roadblock to the skilled trade immigrants who normally do not have a high level of education from their former country (VIRCS, n.d.). A large number of these immigrants, particularly refugees, have considerable education and experience in their native country, but because of their l...

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...etrieved Dec 17, 2011, from http://www.ccsd.ca/subsites/cd/docs/iy/service.htm

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3) Citizenship and Immigration Canada (2007). Facts and Figures 2006: Immigration Overview: Permanent and Temporary Residents. Government of Canada. Retrieved Dec 4, 2011, from http://tinyurl.com/ yc3ven8

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http://www.vircs.bc.ca/barriers.php

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