Prior to joining the Immigrant Centre as a volunteer English Conversation Group Facilitator, Frances Biela worked in childcare for many years. During a short stint in home-care however, Frances started tutoring and realized how much she enjoyed it. 

This led her to sign up for the Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) certification program at the University of Winnipeg. It was there that she heard about the EAL workshops being offered by Immigrant Centre Manitoba, so she signed up for one of the courses.

After taking the course, Frances decided to apply for a volunteer position. “I wanted experience working with groups. I had already done one-to-one tutoring, so I was hoping to get into a new area…to plan for a group class.”  At the Centre, Frances started off with an intermediate class then became interested in teaching beginner groups, which she really enjoyed.

“It’s been terrific… everything is run professionally and we’re treated with a great deal of respect which is motivating. I am grateful for the opportunity and hope that I can volunteer for a few more years to come.”