'In spring 2022, my husband and I moved from Hong Kong to the UK. Though I visited the country many times before and I never experienced difficulty when communicating with others in English as a tourist in London, I found it difficult to understand what people are speaking in supermarkets, surgery, restaurants and even fast-food joints.
People speak English in different accents and they always speak fast so it is not easy to make a good grasp. Furthermore, I need to talk about subjects that I would not discuss in previous holidays, like property viewing, internet connection and other daily life issues.
After making the beautiful borough our new home, my husband applied to join the free English as Additional Language class offered by the Richmond EAL Friendship Group and I tagged along.
It took me some time to get used to being in a class studying again but I found it very rewarding. In addition to refreshing my memory of English learning, the class broadened my horizon. There were classmates from different countries so I got a chance to make friends from different countries, like Turkey, Ukraine, Brazil, France, Morocco, Albania, Thailand, Japan, etc. Making new friends never on my to do list while the class helped me realise it is always good to be surrounded by friends.
Through the new friends and discussion in classes, we learned about different cultures. We even got the chance to taste food from other countries. The EAL class organises Healthy cooking club once a month and learners take terms to cook food from their country. Other than sharing food, we learned English vocabularies of cooking, food ingredients and kitchen tools, utensils, etc.
In addition to the EAL healthy cooking club, other activities are arranged to encourage students to learn English in daily life and lead a balanced life with outdoor activities, exercise. The weekly Walk and Talk and the occasional trips to Kew garden, Ham House and other attractions in the borough always a big hit with learners. We may enjoy the company of each other and the beautiful nature of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, and learn English at the same time. The women's swimming club is also popular with female students. Regular exercise always benefits one's mental and physical health, especially when you are facing changes in your life.
Language barrier is not the only challenge EAL learners experiencing, they need to tackle daily life issues, like seeking help for health issue, children's education, job hunting. To help them to raise to the challenges, speakers from different organisations are invited to talk in classes to provide guidance. Various topics are covered, from support to cancer patients, language study programme, volunteering opportunities to job fairs and many other daily life issues.
Our teacher, Ruth, is an experienced EAL teacher and she thoroughly understands the Iearners' needs. She knows the common mistakes made by EAL learners and their obstacle in learning English. Her teaching materials enriches student's vocabulary, improves their grammar and introduces British culture. Ruth always pinpoints students' mistakes and helps them overcome.
As a keen learner herself, Ruth always knows a few phrases of the mother language of her students and has a collection of foreign language dictionaries. Her enthusiasm helps to motivate learners to work harder.
On the whole, the EAL lessons helps a lot to prepare me for new life in the UK with new friends and enhanced English conversational skills and better knowledge to the country.'