Free English Classes Help Newcomers Build Skills, Friendships and Hope in Richmond
Twice each week, a lively corner of Richmond, B.C., takes on a new purpose. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, the party room at Mino Club Cafe—usually a restaurant and children’s play area—becomes a welcoming classroom for newcomers eager to strengthen their English.
At the centre of the gathering is volunteer teacher Masih Sabet. Since 2017, he has provided free lessons to more than 1,000 students, helping them communicate with confidence while creating meaningful connections within their new community.
“I come here want to improve my English,” said student Meice Xu, who immigrated from Shanghai.
Sabet calls the gathering the “English Friendship Corner,” a name that reflects its wider mission.
“We help them to create friendship between themselves. And they learn that they are not alone in this,” he said.
A welcoming place during a time of change
The volunteer-led classes are becoming especially valuable as federally funded language programs face reductions.
Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada has supported the integration of permanent residents and refugees since 1992. Its first stage provides beginners with foundational English skills for everyday life, while its second stage offers intermediate instruction that can help people pursue professional employment.
In September, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will end its funding for the intermediate Stage 2 program. The department said it is prioritizing basic language instruction and linking funding levels to the number of permanent residents arriving in Canada.
The decision comes amid broader reductions in immigration and settlement spending. Between 2024 and 2027, the federal government expects to cut $234 million from funding for settlement service providers. These organizations offer newcomers assistance with language learning, employment and access to essential information.
SUCCESS, a British Columbia non-profit serving immigrants, has already closed two Richmond language centres since last year.
“We’ll have to reduce the size for the upcoming year as well,” said CEO Queenie Choo.
The funding changes follow the federal government’s 2024 announcement that it would reduce permanent-resident admissions by more than 200,000. Statistics Canada also recorded a 20 per cent decline in permanent immigration during the first quarter of this year compared with the same period a year earlier.
Learning that opens doors
Organizations supporting newcomers say access to language education can influence how quickly people find work and feel at home.
“There’s a delay in kind of the integration, delay in finding a job or delay in even the overall economic integration into the community,” Choo said.
Sabet understands those challenges personally because he is also an immigrant. His classes are designed not only to teach vocabulary and grammar, but also to offer companionship, encouragement and a place where people can belong.
“It helps them to get … out of their loneliness, helps them to get out of despair,” he said.
For Xu, learning English is making everyday activities more manageable and giving her opportunities to support others.
“I want to go to the doctor, go … shopping, even help the people,” she said.
Her words brought a smile to Sabet’s face. Through his generosity, students are gaining the confidence to participate more fully in their communities—and, in turn, to extend that same spirit of kindness to others.
