For immediate release 19 June 2007

ESOL Home Tutors extend friendship to refugees

When does a person who has had to leave their home country stop feeling like a refugee?

ESOL Home Tutors chief executive Claire Szabo Larsen says it depends on the situation, but making friends in their new community eases the resettlement process for both refugees and other immigrants. Making contact can be difficult, though.

“For many, the first problem is not being able to speak English,” Larsen said. “Some Kiwis study French or Japanese at school, but there aren’t many who speak Arabic or Amharic.”

ESOL Home Tutors is New Zealand’s largest settlement agency, offering a range of language-learning opportunities through volunteers and paid staff.

“Our volunteer tutors help adults learn the English they need for everyday life: like going shopping, talking to children’s teachers and visiting the doctor. Language and culture are inseparable, so they also talk about how Kiwis do things, what’s expected in different situations and what certain phrases mean.

“The tutor and learner get together once a week for about an hour, to practice English. But as they get to know each other, they often become friends.

“It can be a valuable process for refugees, because their tutors may be the first New Zealanders they get to know as people. For their part, tutors gain a broader view of the world.”

Wednesday, 20 June, is World Refugee Day.

ENDS

www.esolht.org.nz

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