ESOL Changing Lives

This article was published in ACE Aotearoa’s quarterly newsletter, and references ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses provided by Selwyn Community Education, and our English programme coordinator, Kirsty Cantley.

ESOL – Changing Lives 

Stats NZ’s provisional estimates for 2023 show a net migration gain of 110,200 people, with annual migrant arrivals reaching an all-time high of 225,400 in the 12 months to August 2023. Auckland is New Zealand’s most culturally diverse city, with over 100 ethnicities and more than 150 languages spoken daily. Thirty-nine percent of Auckland residents were born outside New Zealand and 51 percent of Auckland’s population are multi-lingual. Given these statistics, it’s no surprise that last term ESOL registrations at Selwyn College in Kohimarama, Auckland, were about 30% higher than the previous year, with learners representing a huge range of nationalities including South American, Iranian, Chinese and Korean. 

Kirsty Cantley is an ESOL tutor at Selwyn {Community Education} who’s been teaching ESOL since 2001 and has been involved with Community Education since 2017. 

“I think the increase in numbers enrolling for ESOL courses started during COVID lockdown. During that time a lot of people prioritised their learning and put themselves first. Some of those people had jobs and wanted to use the downtime to improve their English, while others may have had a partner who had managed to secure work or was involved in the community because of their ESOL learning, and they chose to pursue that same pathway with the time available.” 

At the moment within the ESOL intensive group class, Kirsty’s tutoring a learner who was a highly qualified UX designer, working in IT in Asia and who followed her partner to live in New Zealand. 

“Her English wasn’t of a level to be able to find work in a New Zealand company, she’s been participating in classes so she can eventually find paid work. Her English has come on well and she has developed the confidence to go to interviews and feel comfortable with the process of obtaining paid work. In the meantime, she’s just secured a volunteer role doing UX design which she hopes may lead to permanent employment.” 

The learners are finding great improvements in their language and being able to achieve their goals through attending classes at Selwyn Community Education. 

Selwyn provides a range of ESOL options, including day courses that are six hours a week and designed to help people integrate into their communities and gain connections. An intensive 15-hour-a-week programme is pitched at a higher level and is designed to improve English fast. Conversational classes target learners’ language needs, improving communication within daily life in New Zealand. The Kiwi Culture class is one day a week and designed to introduce learners to the idiosyncrasies of Kiwi life. Evening classes are popular with those wanting to continue their language journey. 

Aida Linares arrived in New Zealand from Lima, Peru in 2022 and says that while she had the equivalent of an intermediate level of English, she had never practised it in Peru because it was not a priority. 

“When I arrived in New Zealand, I had to face that I couldn’t communicate with people as I used to in my country. It was so difficult to express myself without requesting my partner’s support with translation. I came to realise that I was somehow losing my independence. 

“Secondly were the New Zealand customs: from eye contact, smiling and greetings, to the shopping hours and the food, for example. I think that it is a natural process to adapt to a different country with different views. But walking through the process takes energy.” 

Aida read about the Selwyn courses in a flyer at the Remuera Library and joined up the same day. She first enrolled for three months to align with visa conditions, but once she received her residency in October 2022, she re-enrolled for a further 12 months. 

For Aida, the best outcome has been building self-confidence to speak, followed by gaining an understanding of New Zealand customs. In addition to that she is now working full time at Fire and Emergency NZ as a Business Services Coordinator, providing general and financial administration support. 

“Selwyn College staff were a key element in my personal and professional development in New Zealand. I think they play a pivotal role to assist people from overseas who want to build a new life and to contribute back to the country that kindly opened its arms.”