English

Have you ever taken an on-line course? Do you know how E-learning can help you to get the knowledge you would like to get, but you do not have the time to do it? What is your opinion about this trend? Well, I have taken three different on-line courses that have helped me to meet some of my goals in life. I am going to share with you the advantages and disadvantages that I have found, for example the way you can save time and money or spend more time at home with your loved ones, but also the restriction about meeting new people and expanding your network.

Some of the advantages of E-Learning are that you can study at your own pace. For example, if you have a rotating shift at work, you can study when you are alone to concentrate. You can stop if you have an important phone call to make or if you need to make dinner because you are the manager of your time. Another benefit is that you can save time and money not having to drive to the school as the traditional way and you can spend this time in more useful activities like spending time with family, friends, studying or working more. Added to this point, you can perform both roles at the same time as a student and as a worker. You can have a job and when you are home you can spend time studying and the more you study, the better you can improve at your job and probably earn a better wage or a promotion.

However, for some people, it is hard not having interaction with other people; no talking to their fellow students and being by themselves while studying. It is a reality that when you are studying on-line you are completely alone. You cannot meet new people to expand your network or to make more friends; meeting in person is different from meeting on-line. When you see people, or share a coffee or just hang out with them, you can know them better and build lifelong relationships.

I had finished my ESL classes and thought that I would be comfortable with my English level at the workplace. But I felt frustrated when I realized that I was stuck at a point where I did not know my weaknesses. When I spoke, everybody looked at me in a very funny way and I felt completely embarrassed. Still, it is very embarrassing when you see people looking at you like that! (Lol). It sounds funny, but I would like “the ground to open and eat me”, believe me, it is not that funny!

One year ago, I went to the Guelph Immigrant Services to explain to them my dismal experience at the first job I had in Canada. They assessed me and said that my English level was “advanced” but they suggested E-learning might be a good option for me and they put me in contact with Home Study, which is an on-line English course that is working for me. I am not learning in leaps and bounds because I am not very young. I started Home Study last February and I am feeling more confident in my current job and with people in the community, as for instance at my Toastmasters meetings that I attend every Monday evening. Every time I find words or expressions that I don’t understand or I don’t know how to pronounce I ask my on-line teacher and she has made excellent efforts to find ways to help me to improve my communication skills. I still need to stay focused on my routine since as a mature Immigrant, I am aware that I need it. The good thing is that I love English and I love studying.

As an example to inspire you, I had the opportunity to go for an interview for an Auditor position one month ago, in the same corporation that I have been working for for 10 months. As a result of all my hard work through my on-line English course, I was their second choice. However, some weeks after the interview, one of the other Auditors had to resign and guess what? Yes, I got the promotion!

In my opinion, E-learning has more benefits than disadvantages, but you need to be self-disciplined to keep on track and avoid getting distracted by external factors. Having the opportunity to learn every day at any time is a window to the world. I encourage you all to consider this way of learning that thing you have always wished to learn but time is holding you back. Do not even hesitate for a minute to do it, think about what is it that you need or you want to learn, go to your computer, Google-it, register yourself and start to learn it immediately. I swear you are going to be very happy when the time passes and you realize that you have achieved your goal.