Forced Migrant's Language Learning

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English Speakers

Who
What
Ahmed He mentions colleagues at work, from his first job in 2002.

"They were English. I was operating the packing machine, all worked in a bakery and... yeah... they was helpful.. and at that time even though I didn't smoke they was smoking, but I was going with them to the smoke room to learn some new things from them."
Ahmed Rebecca:   And did you meet other people outside of college? For example, how did you meet .......?

Ahmed:     I met ......... in a coach going to London

Rebecca:   In a coach?

Ahmed:     Yes, I have seen that she have a diary which was written in my language, and I ask her about this language and she say it was Afghanistan. And, also, she have a top that was hand made in my country.
Ahmed At that time he met a number of people in the town where he lived ............, neighbours and others. He felt that because he was learning the necessary, basic language he was able to start conversations and it gave him the confidence to speak to people. He thinks this is part of the reason why he learned:

"I wasn't shy to speak, first. What I had in my mind, it was English. I knew that, I have to say that to people. If had any day, every day, three hours, four hours, I was studying English. When I was coming from college I didn't work for one year. I just study. I knew many people and when they come to UK they start working. I didn't work, I just continued studying."
Ahmed Understanding cultural differences meant comparing his country with the UK - working out what is similar, what is different.

He gives an example of a family he met through other Afghan friends, who he used to visit. He would talk about his family, and they theirs: they were Irish.

"I continued to meet with them, to speak with them, from my culture, from my country, from my parents, from my brother, from my sister. What we like, what they like, what's our country, how is UK. They were Irish actually they wasn't English. Also I had some family movie my parents send me. I took the movie I showed them how we live, how is our wedding, how is our culture how is our party."
Ahmed He met English friends through other friends quite early on, and socialised with them, always asking questions:

"We were going out together to the pubs, actually they didn't teach me any English but I learnt from them the way of speak, the way act, the way of life in the UK. And, I ask them how the people live, what is lawful in the country what is forbidden. How is the rule in this country."
Ahmed He would get materials from class, and go home and practice so as not to forget. When he went out with people, whatever language he had been taught he would try and use, even if it wasn't particularly relevant:

"For example, I don't need to speak about particular part of computer, yeah, that teacher taught me today. But, because of not forgetting this, just talking to someone - 'Do you know what this is?', 'Oh yeah, I know this one, this is this, that is that'. And sometime, they didn't know what I mean, but, because I didn't want to forget it, I speak with them."
Ahmed Gardening played a part:

Ahmed:     There was an Indian family, living next to us, not the same culture but a bit close, a bit close, we were interested to meet each other. And, I was helping with their garden, sometimes. He had no son to help him. He had six daughters. He had one son actually and he was working late with the post and he needed our help. I was speaking to him and his wife, in English, not in Hindi.

Rebecca:   So you had cultural similarities with that family, but, they were very English in terms of language.

Ahmed:     That's where I learnt most of English, I learnt from College in the beginnings. But, the way of speaking continually, not broken, at work. I spoke a lot with people. For example, at a factory, there's lots of noises, different machines. If someone speaks to you from over 20 metre far, you should know what they say.
Ahmed He talks about the opportunities for practice he has had in his jobs:

Ahmed:     Packing in a bakery, I did it for a year. When I came to ............ I start work in a pizza shop. And they was Iranian, they was speaking Farsi, they was speaking my language. They didn't speak English. But I wanted to speak English. When I was first at the shop I said: "Please, I don't want to lose what I learnt, please speak English with me." They were speaking English with me, I learnt some words from them.What they did, they put me to another shop. They said: "go and manage a shop alone, because it's good for your language. You meet people, you serve the customers. Yeah, it's good for you. I went to another shop, I work alone, for ten hours. Because I wanted to learn English. And I was just meeting people who was speaking English. That was a fish and chip shop.

Rebecca:   You felt that you learnt through working alone

Ahmed:     From working, from going to college. They realised that my English was good to serve customers, that's why they did send me to another shop. They say "go, do it alone"
Ahmed Rebecca:   And have you met other people in similar strange ways?

Ahmed:     Mmm, yeah, I met some English people, was helpful. Sometimes they need help in their house in their gardens, you know? In the neighbourhood.

Rebecca:   Gardens, I'm finding, are really important.

Ahmed:     Yes, they need help in their gardens and you are talking together.
Ayaz She talks about how much she uses English since she has lived on her own:

Azad:        After one year living in ............. then I moved to ............. I got my flat, then I had my neighbours, I am always talking to my neighbours, they are English people, two, three of them...

Rebecca:   And you live on your own?

Azad:        Yes. Which is very helpful because when I have the time I go out, I go outside and I found the people, there is a small garden in front of the house and always, especially my friend, she is called Sarah, When I saw her gardening I go out and talk to her.

Rebecca:   So is the garden shared?

Azad:        Yes.
Azad He talks about many friends, some Kurdish, who he learnt from. One particular Kurdish friend he gives him as an example, he knew him from university in Iraq and explained lots of things in Kurdish.

"I have lots of friends which I learn from. I don't have one particular friend, that I go out with all the time."
Azad He mentions that fellow students, teachers, people through the Mosque helped him learn. The people at the mosque were important in explaining culture, law, traditions in the UK and they didn't speak Kurdish so a lot of this had to be done in English.
Azad One person had a profound effect on his learning - his solicitor. They are still friends. He worked with him as an interpreter and learned a lot.
Azad when he moved to London he also attended college and was working one or two days a week. He has learnt from colleagues, other workers, (For example a job at Heathrow) and many different places.
Azad He used to visit his Solicitor a lot, who spoke very clear English and helped him understand words by explaining and talking slowly.
Azad He has friends from the CAB, names two women one of whom is a neighbour too.
Hardy He also talks about ............, who in the past has been his teacher and is now a friend, and how she still helps him with English problems and other cultural things.
Hardy 2004/2005.

When he first arrived he couldn't speak at all. He also couldn't work. By 2004 he was picking things up and starting to feel a bit more confident to trey things out, and discovered it was okay to make mistakes. It seems that a combination of attending college and starting to meet more people outside of college led to him learning the most.
Hardy He also talks about Spanish friends he has met from parties.

Hardy:        She is my friend now because she is not teaching me any more. And she is great because sometime if I have a problem with the English, grammar, something like that, and she is exactly explain to me everything.

Rebecca:   Do you ask about other things?

Hardy :   Yes, of course, ask about how you live, how European people live, because I'm from Middle East, you have a different culture..And I have Spanish friends, we go outside together, go to parties together.... Because I want to open my eyes, I wasn't to open my mind because if you live in Europe you have to.
Hardy Also where he has working there are people that are happy to help.
Hardy He thinks that his native language is quite important for learning words though, and sees that sometimes, even though it is important to use an English/English dictionary as often as possible, there is a need for someone to explain a word in your mother tongue.

Hardy:        ... if I don't understand some words, I'll ask Kurdish people if I found. If I don't find it I go to English people. Because if one Kurdish guy tell me it is so easier to understand.

Rebecca:   That's interesting because you use an English/English dictionary...

Hardy:        Sometimes, not always

Rebecca:   So there is a time for explaining it in Kurdish, and there is a time for explaining it in English?

Hardy:        Yes

Rebecca:   Both can be useful?

Hardy:        Yes

Rebecca:   But in terms of keeping language and identity, you are happy that English and Kurdish go together.

Hardy:        Yes. Because I study Kurdish 12 years. I can't lose it.
Hardy "I hope if can add some think about football or sport and activity because I am going to football every sunday and tuesday some times thursday.

If want it's helpful for me cos I learn too, much there"
Hardy He talks about how he learnt to make mistakes, and gained in confidence through using language and going to college. He also explains that he started to realise that lots of people spoke English badly, not just him!

Hardy:        In 2004 - I try to speak with people. If you try to speak and you make a mistake, when you make a mistake next time you are going to learn.

Rebecca:   How did you work that out?

Hardy:        The thing is when I make a mistake, people, they try to make it right. And I wrote it down and read every day.

Rebecca:   Did you start doing that in 2003?

Hardy:        My third day I started to write down everything. I went to market and write everything. But college for me was helpful. Because I start to writing English and speaking perfect grammar, and sentences. Because on the street you can't learn like writing and using grammar because everybody's making mistakes and, especially in London there's not many English people living in London.

Rebecca:   So you started learning more in 2004/5 when you were at college but also you were doing other things?

Hardy:        Yeah exactly because when you going to college you don't have to speak any other language, just English, the college is comfortable or people if don't speak English because everywhere they don't speak English. And for myself I am a little bit shy... well not anymore! Really! I was so shy. You think everybody speaking English but not now.
Mary She has started singing in a choir and has friends who speak English there.
Mary When she moved to the hostel she is now living in she started to speak more, but not many people were speaking to her.
Mary The library helped her learn. This she found out through her Key Worker, the person working with her for the housing association.

Mary:        I found the books, children book, and I tried to read it. And I have got a bible and I read it. And I like watch TV, the news.

Rebecca:   Where did you find out about the library?

Mary:        My key worker help me to find everything, because she know that I don't know English properly.

Rebecca:   Did she take you or did she tell you?

Mary:        No, she tell me.

Rebecca:   How often did you go?

Mary:        2 days a week. It's not a long way, it's about 10 minutes.
Mary She also talks about the people that she sings with, which is connected to the church that she worships in. The choir is once a week, and so is the service. Some of her friends there speak French but she only speaks English with them now, and the whole service is in English.
Sarah It wasn't easy to start volunteering; there was a form to fill in which her sister helped with, and an interview with the manager which she found very confusing:

He came down and took me into the office, and he shut the door, and I was surprised, I think what is he doing take me into the room and close the door? What was going through my mind was voluntary work without pay doesn't need all this... He just start speaking about .........., about what is the aims of ........, maybe during what he chat about one hour, I did understand 10 words!
Sarah She found learning about culture hard.

"It was very very difficult for me. I didn't understand nothing."

A particular woman at that time helped her, mainly just by being friendly and making jokes she was able to understand. She understood that Sarah was new and nervous, and was kind. So Sarah would go back to her and ask her things.
Sarah She didn't want to work on the till because of her language, but it was the only role they wanted her to take. Despite being very nervous she took it:

Sarah:       ...from the next day really for one month it was nightmare everyday when I am getting back home I am start crying.

Rebecca:   Why? Because you didn't understand anything?

Sarah:       No, I learned the till after 2, 3 times when they use it in the front of me. But my problem is, really... I look like frightened, scared, I didn't understand the environment, I didn't know what the people saying... sometime they just, you know, shouting. And sometime when I am looking the people they are very aggressive. And start shouting at me; "Who put you on here?" The first thing that I understand: "You are deaf you don't understand?" And really I am just looking.

Rebecca:   Why did you stay?

Sarah:       Look I told you why I stay. When I am going home no-one is in. And there is no communication for me. I can't use the phone because they ask me not to use the phone is very expensive in the morning. I got some friend, I have only one friend in Ealing Broadway, and I have to call her even now she never call me, I don't know she is weird! And even I didn't stay with the children, leaving my culture, leaving my job, because I am very keen on my job. I like my student. Even now I wish... I went back in Iraq the first thing I did was I went and met my students, the teachers, the school... really I was so keen.
Sarah Other people mentioned were her fellow volunteers and workers at ........... She would remember words from the bus and go and ask her colleagues what they meant. Sometimes she would write it on her hand in Arabic script to remember. There were sometimes bad words which would make her colleagues laugh, or they would jokingly tell her not to listen to other people's conversations.
Sarah While living at the hostel Sarah made friends with a young English girl living there also. Each had lost family and they became a kind of substitute mother and daughter. Learning English was a big part of their relationship:

"I think we need each other, I lost my children and she lost her parents... She used to come to the room and she bring the dictionary and the book, she start studying with me. Reading book, children's book, she is bringing, and I am doing the nice food and I am never never able to eat I am just doing and looking at it... and we start to chat, sometime up to 11 o'clock. She was teaching me, this is a desk, this is a draw, this is a bed, and she start writing down for me and taking out from the dictionary, because I have got Arabic and English and she has got English. And she becomes like teacher..."
Tania She is in a literacy class now, with a tutor who always seems to have time to help everyone in the class. She explained the system he seems to have and how she feels he divides his time fairly. He has taken time to find out about her situation and she feels like he knows now what her problems are.

She would place him much higher on the scale of people that helped than the teachers in her school, but quite a bit lower than the people at the RCO. This is because she has only been at that class for one month or so.

"But I think he will go up!"

"It's in a group. But you know the thing is he didn't say to me I haven't got time for you. There are a lot of people who can read already, and spell. But there is only 2 or 3 people in the class, who can't read and can't spell. And he helps a lot, what he is doing is like this week he will help me only, and then he will help another person and another person, and then the fourth week he will help me again. Or what he do is like half hour spend with me, half hour with another one."
Tania In 2000 she started doing voluntary work at the RCO where she eventually got a job, in a refugee food project. There was a man there, who was a paid worker and also a volunteer, who helped her to learn while they were volunteering. She had fun, and learnt lots of 'doing' words and fruits and vegetables. While they were waiting for vegetables and fruit to be delivered, her fellow volunteer would quiz her. The produce would then be put into bags, and she would have to answer what all of the words were as they worked.

"The first month I was there, he was always teaching me you know, this is apple, this is this, this is that... one time he was like having this fruit in his hand and he goes 'what's this?' 'pear' good good! And then he goes every single one you know? And then the vegetables, I didn't know any vegetables so then after that the vegetables came, and after the vegetables came the words to talk you know it was so nice. I had a lot of fun learning!" She considers that her time when she first started volunteering and, before that, dealing with the many problems with her Mother were the times when she learnt the most.
Tania The difference in culture was "Way different. Way freaky"!

There was a guide for this - Irena, the woman who befriended them. She "explained a lot of things", then when their English got better Tania's mother felt that they couldn't just keep calling her and asking questions. She lived a long way away too.

So they decided to deal with their problems on their own. They learned about the culture by having problems to deal with and getting it wrong often. Her Mother couldn't speak English at all and took Tania with her because she understood more.

She gives an example of a visit to the housing office because the landlord hadn't been paid. A woman asked her about her language, and what her language was, but called no interpreter.

She mentions that they don't listen to you - in the housing office, the DSS, and the job centre. And that half the time they didn't understand what they wanted.

She saw that when other people were shouting in offices like this that they got help, so she learnt to shout! She thinks she learnt a lot from watching others.
Tania She mentions again the volunteer at the food project, and how he bought her an English/English dictionary:

He was the first person who encouraged me to learn and all that kind of stuff. And also I got a dictionary from him, an oxford dictionary. He goes when your English gets better, and your writing gets better, you can get your spelling from here. And I still use it!

When he went, there were many other names mentioned of people that helped her learn. She now works with some of them in her job.
Tania We go back to the fruits and the vegetables at the food project. He made her recite the alphabet even when they were having delivery and other people were around. When she was embarrassed it seems he was quite firm about how important it was! But her memories are good and she says she had fun, and talks a lot about how important he is.

"When we were finished with fruits and vegetables, he used to write it on a piece of paper, it was very difficult I couldn't even do my ABC, and then he figured out that I don't know my ABC... every morning he makes me do my ABC, and the delivery is coming the man is there and he makes me do this a,b,c,d... I say that's embarrassing! He says learning is not embarrassing! It was good, it was very good."

If you want to find out about the design of the research, please download a copy of the full dissertation.

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