Summary of what people told us... |
Intercultural Centre
November 1, 2016, 10:30-11:30am
30 participants: from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenian, Japan, China
Are there activities you would like to do now but are not?
What are the barriers that prevent you for doing these activities?
November 1, 2016, 10:30-11:30am
30 participants: from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenian, Japan, China
- Think of an activity you loved to do in your past. What made it so special?
- Had a house to take care of
- Gardening, flowers & vegetables
- Like being outside
- Went to YMCA/pool
- Needlework, sewing
- Rode bicycle
- Housework- had to do it but enjoyed it
- Swimming – was fun and healthy
- Cook Chinese food – fun to do and delicious
- Read- was so poor borrowed books and enjoyed learning to read
- Tai Chi and paper cutting – peaceful and able to do by themselves
- Piano and sewing – music made her happy and loved to sew/needlepoint
- Hiking with friends (x2) – healthy and social, lots of places near by
- Make childrens clothes (x2) – loved seeing children wearing their clothes, turned into career
- Table tennis – exercise and socialize
- Danced with my husband
- What activities do you do for fun now?
- Walking (majority responded) – it makes me feel better, healthy, its social, walk with friends, can smile and say hi to others
- Meet together to practice English – every Friday in my building we meet to do this – mix of people with different cultural backgrounds to practice English
- Read books with grandchildren
- Baking/cooking X 3
- Dance and singing by myself, playing piano
- Painting
- Walk to the ocean daily
- I’m a grandmother and help care for my grandchildren
- Jogging
- Goes swimming at Crystal Pool
- Internet
- Swimming x 4
- Table tennis x 4
- Sing/choir at GH x 3
- dance at GH
- -go to my friends house
Are there activities you would like to do now but are not?
- More language development courses
- Practicing language
- Meeting with people who are from my pre-Canada country/culture
- Most in group were sponsored by their children. All had lived in Canada between 14-20 years. All still struggled with understanding English language. They were ok to speak in a safe group English-learning setting, but were intimidated when coming to a recreation centre or office.
- More singing
- Sharing stories
- Cards and Mahjong
- Opportunities to speak English
- Conversation group to hear English more. Can speak it okay but need to hear it more to better understand. Most people speak to fast to understand what they are saying
- swimming
What are the barriers that prevent you for doing these activities?
- Bus is too expensive $5 / day so I walk everywhere
- Biggest barrier is LANGUAGE – if you know English, you can go anywhere. (X4)
- Need a translator for their language
- Need SIMPLY English (written). Too many meanings for one English word. Use words/idioms with one meaning.
- Look after my husband so don’t have time
- Available space to get together.
- Get together now once a week to sing and dance at GH but would like another day
- A room to play cards and mahjong
- Language barrier (most agreed)
- SpeakWell okay but it is at night. Something daytime
- Money is a barrier