Meet Olena: EnGen Learner, Rebuilding Her Life & Livelihood
“Leaving my country was neither a plan nor a possibility, but became my reality. And in cases like that, you need to adapt to your new reality as soon as possible.”
War drove Olena from her home in Kyiv, Ukraine, where she had built a 30-plus-year career as a law and history teacher, to Canada, where she had to start over. Reunited with her daughter and son-in-law in Ontario, Olena is grateful for safety and stability, but has faced myriad changes in her life and livelihood – including language.
“When you plan to immigrate, you get prepared, you have a plan, but when you have to flee your country all of a sudden – it’s completely different,” she recalls. “I couldn’t talk [in English]. I didn’t have the courage.”
A few months after her arrival in Canada, Olena started a job at a brand new Amazon facility that had opened near her home. Olena was attracted to Amazon’s reputation – and the ability to connect with their Career Choice program, an educational and skills training benefit for Amazon employees that pre-pays tuition for English programs and industry certifications. Via EnGen’s partnership with Career Choice across the U.S. and Canada, Olena has been able to access EnGen’s online, on-demand platform with instruction tailored to her needs and interests. She also regularly attends virtual live English courses and one-on-one sessions with EnGen coaches that have helped her identify and progress toward her goals. Her investment of time on the platform – about five hours per week over the past four months –has begun to pay off.
“My [EnGen] teacher, Jeff, asked me to establish a deadline to start speaking [in English]. I mentioned my daughter’s birthday – the 23rd of February – symbolically. I kept this date in my mind. And guess what? It worked!,” Olena recalls.
“First, I spoke [in English] to my son-in-law who is a Canadian. He noticed my progress and even mentioned it to my daughter. At work, colleagues also noticed I moved from the silent mode to my first conversations. In recent weeks, my [Amazon] supervisor realized I have been using the translation tools much less. Now I can even keep my phone in my purse without worrying I won’t be able to communicate without it. You can't imagine how excited I am.”
Olena isn’t alone in identifying confidence as one of the biggest benefits of EnGen: 95 percent of our learners cited improved confidence in using English in a recent survey.
Growing Confidence, New Possibilities
In addition to improved communication with her family and her colleagues, Olena’s growing English proficiency is allowing her to reconnect aspects of her previous life – including her decades-long interest in history – while also helping her to put down new roots in Canada.
“I used to travel a lot and explore different cultures and historical sights. I want to be able to do the same in Canada. I want to feel I am part of the society, and not just superficially, but deeply. I want to understand the culture of the country I live in, its history, its amazing nature, and, most importantly, I want to feel like I am part of it,” Olena explains.
Here too, EnGen has given her tools for success, with courses like English for World History that allow her to learn English and history simultaneously. Research shows that adult learners progress more quickly when new skills – including English – are immediately applicable to their lives. In Olena’s case, her progress with learning English vocabulary has been rooted in her passion for history.
“Where would I have world history in one place that also teaches me English if it was not for EnGen? How many historians would I have to read, translate, summarize, and put together? With EnGen, I found it all in one place. It is amazing to realize I started learning English equivalents for words and historical terminology I’ve always known.”
Olena is grateful to Amazon for the opportunity to learn English with EnGen and Career Choice – and, like many EnGen learners, plans to continue to build a career there. Nearly 90 percent of our learners say they’ll stay with their company because EnGen is an employee benefit – and another 84 percent say they’ll refer a friend to their employer for the same reason.
“Now I can say I do feel as part of this company and I don’t want to leave it. Now I feel like growing within Amazon,” Olena explains, citing plans to continue improving her English and taking professional development courses with Career Choice.
Advice for Other Newcomers
EnGen is giving Olena the tools to rebuild her life in Canada - and she emphatically recommends the platforms to others
“I tried having classes with teachers in person, studying with special apps. Those classes were not as effective as EnGen has been,” Olena says. “My English may not be perfect yet, but I do feel more confident. I can go to a drugstore without my daughter’s assistance. She is so proud of me. She always tells me things take time and that’s true.”
“Be proactive, don’t wait for the knowledge to come and knock on your door, look for it, seek any signs around, be attentive and curious. You will succeed, there is no other way!”
EnGen partners with Fortune 500 companies, regional employers, educational institutions and government agencies to serve tens of thousands of adult English learners like Olena. Learn how it can work for your organization: https://getengen.com/demo