Farewell from Navitas AMEP Distance Learning

All good things must come to an end! With sadness this is the last Navitas DL Blog post. From the 30th June 2017, Navitas and the Flexible Learning Network will no longer deliver DL lessons. Your DL lessons will continue with TAFE OTEN who will be in contact with you from the 1st July 2017.Over the past six years your teachers have really enjoyed teaching you and would like to say goodbye.They each answered the question"What do you love about teaching in Navitas DL?

DL teachers

'What I love about teaching in DL is our wonderful students. Your positive attitude, willingness to work hard and determination to succeed never fails to inspire me. It has been a joy to teach you and I feel honoured to have been part of your journey in Australia.' Nicola.

'We had laughs and a few tears at times with special and sad moments. Overall I had an amazing job and I will miss you all. I wish all my DL students lots of luck in your future in Australia.' from Karen.

'I delighted in watching you improve your English skills, develop confidence, complete courses, get jobs, achieve high IELTS scores, pass Citizenship tests, have babies and settle happily in Australia. I will miss you and I wish you every success in the future.' Best wishes from Linda.

'What I love is the one-to-one approach with my students. It has been a real pleasure working with each one of you, seeing you grow and develop both intellectually and socially. My message is just keep going, keep learning, keep growing.' From Johanna

Teachers & managers, past & present

'Some people come into our lives

and leave footprints on our hearts

and we are never ever the same.' By Flavia Weedn

From Barbara 

'What I've loved is meeting amazing students who are willing to share a part of your loves and cultures with me. Erica

'What I love is the opportunity to meet the loveliest of people from around the world. I've learned so much from you; different customs, cultural practices, recipes, colourful celebrations and joyous festivals. Each lesson has been pure joy, sharing, learning, laughter and occasional frustration with technology,I must say there was never a dull moment.' Regards Sonia.

"What I've loved are my wonderful students. Like delicate flowers, I've watched you blossom, then grow in confidence and flourish in your new environment. I wish you all the happiness in the world!" Kind Regards Christine.

'What I've loved is that this program has made a difference to you all. I feel that I have not just helped you learn English but set goals, get better jobs and a better life. All my students are now my friends and I'll miss you very much. Keep learning English and have a happy future in Australia.' From Lisbeth

Harmony Day 2015

DL management 2012

"We share each other's woes, each other's burdens bear,

Our fears, our hopes, our joys are one,

Our comforts and our cares." From Ross

'What I've loved is ..... 
Pornpun's eternal enthusiasm, Widi's detailed dialogues,
Neena's  fabulous friendliness, Rathigah's happy humour,
Intra's captivating conversations, Gabi's exemplary efficiency,
Gina's perfect prepositions, Pern's transport triumph,
Anuja's intriguing insights, Soha's special stories,
Zeinab's excellent explanations, Luana's sense of style. 
Varapon's marvellous memory, everyone's wonderful warmth.
I've learnt so much from you & I'm so proud of you all!
Let's keep in touch! Rowena

What I've loved is discovering so much about the rest of the world through my wonderful students. I'm grateful for your knowledge,insight and friendship. Julian 

'What I've loved is that learning is a beautiful thing which brings people together. Everyone is potentially a great learner, if the right support is there. From Michelle. 

'What I've loved about DL is the feeling of going into your homes and becoming almost one of the family. I see your babies, your children's bright faces with their newly-acquired Aussie accents, grandma in the background, doing the ironing but absorbing everything too! For a brief moment I'm part of your family. That's what I'll remember about DL! from Carol.

'It's been a pleasure to be your DL teacher. It's added to my experience and knowledge of your individual cultures and has made my life more interesting, colourful and exciting. I've laughed and cried with you, my dear students, enjoyed your friendships and feel more human for it!' Ziba.

It has been a wonderful experience teaching each one of you. Thank you for making me smile and sharing your life with me through writing and conversation. I hope that no matter where your future takes you, you will continue the learning process. I wish you all the best for the future and I will miss you all.From Maha

What I've loved is the privilege of being invited to share your journey in a new country and culture.I'm full of admiration for your resilience to overcome difficulties and move forward.I'll miss you all very much. It's been great working in the DL team with such a committed group of teachers, fabulous leaders and admin staff.I think we can be very proud of what we have achieved together! Meredith.

Finally farewell from your DL Blogspot editors, Nadia and Maree. We have loved reading your stories each week and the way you have all inspired and supported each other through the DL Blog. We wish you all well on the next steps in your DL journey. 

• If you have any questions about DL at TAFE OTEN, just ask your teacher or write your question in the comments box below.
• Also if you'd like to say thank you to your teacher, feel free to write your thoughts in the comments box.

Eid Mubarak

We wish our Muslim students 

and their families 

a blessed Eid al-Fitr.

From all the staff 
at Navitas Distance Learning

Ayan celebrates World Refugee Day

Refugee Week, Sunday 18th June -Saturday 24th June, is a time to raise awarenes of issues affecting refugees and celebrate the positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society. Originally celebrated in 1986, Refugee Week coincides with World Refugee Day on the 20th June. The theme is "With courage let us all combine", from the second verse of the Australian national anthem.This week we have a special story from a courageous Navitas Distance Learning student, Ayan, who tells us why she loves to celebrate Refugee Day.

"There are many celebrations in Somalia, but I don’t celebrate them. I celebrate World Refugee Day, because I don’t remember much about my country. I left when I was only 8 and I grew up in a refugee camp.

World Refugee Day is celebrated on June 20th each year. The website says “It honours the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict, and violence.” I was one of these people!

Why is it important to me? When we came to Kenya, we had nothing – no food, no clothing. We didn’t even know where we were going. They gave us a tent and some blankets, clean water to drink and food – I think it was maize. That day we believed we were going to get a new life – we were without hope before that. We were there for three years.

Then the government closed the camp because it was too close to the border. We moved further inland to a place called Hager-Dher. We stayed there for 15 years. Life got better and better. There was nothing there – you couldn’t grow anything or keep animals there, but we had peace and teachers came and taught the kids. My mother started a little market.We always celebrated World Refugee Day in the camp. That’s why I can’t forget that day. There were many nationalities there – Sudanese, Eritreans – and we all celebrated together.

Now I live in Brisbane and we do the same thing. We meet at a big park. There are so many nationalities. Each country does its traditional dance. The young people don’t usually join in, because they were born here. But we older people, we remember. I sometimes feel happy, sometimes emotional on this day. Emotional because I remember life before the refugee camp and in the refugee camp. But then, I remember where I am today and I feel happy because I have a better life. I never thought I would have this chance." 

Thank you Ayan for sharing your story of hope and courage with your DL classmates.We really admire your determination. Feel free to write to Ayan in the comments box below.

Activities
CSWE 1-3
1. Why is World Refugee Day important to Ayan?
2. What gave Ayan hope in the refugee camps?
3. Why do you think it's important to celebrate Refugee Week in Australia?

CSWE 2-3 
Click HERE to watch a video on refugees starting their own business. Choose one refugee story and discuss the questions with your teacher.
1. What business are they starting up?
2. What will help them start the business?
3. What will they need to overcome to make the business a success?

CSWE 3
Click on the link HERE to read about the achievements of the 2017 Refugee Week Ambassadors.Choose 1 story to discuss with your teacher.
1. What country are they from?
2. Why do you think they were chosen as ambassadors?
3. Why is it important to promote the success of refugees in Australia?

Sara discovers the world of open online learning

Sara

My name is Sara and I'm studying CSWE 3 via AMEP Distance Learning with Navitas English. One day, during my online English lesson, my teacher Erika and I discussed further studies in Australia. I told Erika that I had always been interested in working in the nursing sector. I said I was unsure about making the big financial commitment to begin further study and that I knew little about the Australian healthcare system.

The breakthrough came when Erika suggested I look at the website "Open 2 Study". Here I found a free open online short course called "Introduction to Nursing in Healthcare". I thought it would give me a good introduction to nursing so I quickly registered and immediately commenced the course.

The free online course was fantastic. It provided an overview of nursing roles and outlined the different healthcare sectors. I completed four modules in four weeks and  I learnt by doing online activities, watching videos, doing puzzles and completing assessments. Each module contained clear learning objectives and was easy to understand. I just set aside 2-3 hours per week and studied at my own pace. 

By doing this short course, I also found  that I was able to practice my English in online discussions. As well through reading and listening I learnt new vocabulary and gained knowledge. The best thing was that after successfully completing and passing the assessments, I was issued with a certificate of achievement.

The course encouraged me in two ways. Firstly, listening to lectures by a range of healthcare professionals, confirmed that nursing is a worthwhile career path and that the teamwork involved would be rewarding. Secondly, I now understood with a positive attitude and willingness to learn that we can all achieve our goals and improve ourselves, regardless of our age or gender.

If you have a couple of hours to spare, why not check out these free online courses. You could find a course that interests you. You can study from the comfort of your own home and most importantly you could change your life. Here is the link Open 2 Study.

• Click on the Open 2 Study link above and choose 2 courses that interest you. 
• Why do these courses interest you?
• What online activities did Sara do?  What online activities do you enjoy doing?
• Sara set aside 2-3 hours per week to study by herself. What helps you to make time to study.
• How does a positive attitude and willingness to learn help to achieve our goals?

Ivana is grateful for her life adventures

Ivana

It was 20^th September 2010 when I hopped on a plane to Sydney. Straight out of high school, full of energy, heroic determination, bravery and maybe a bit of foolishness, I was definitely hungry for adventure.

At the time, I didn’t realize that I was standing on the threshold of hundreds of opportunities, tough decisions and a process of self - discovery. My visa was granted for six months, but if someone had told me then, that I would live in Sydney for the next seven years, I would have said, “No way!"

Unbelievably, these seven years have passed so quickly. I can’t believe how many things I have learnt in so many different fields. Over the first two years I learnt English as a beginner. I then travelled around Australia and fell in love with a Mauritian guy. During this time I worked in a supermarket and a bakery and learnt how things work in Australia compared to my country, Slovakia.

Later on I entered the Australian Institute of Music. After three years I successfully completed my Bachelor of Music in classical performing arts, as an opera singer. Towards the end of my studies I also applied for permanent residency, which was granted. Since that time I have tried a few different positions such as a nanny, live in au pair, Slovak folk dancing teacher, Slovak language teacher and as a freelance singer.

Now I have time to reflect on my decisions. I know there's always room for improvement to work harder, to study more, or to achieve more. Having been born a perfectionist, it's difficult to give myself credit for what I achieved. Also it wasn’t easy to be separated from my family, lost in the world, not knowing where I belong. However looking back now, it was definitely worth it!

Now I've set my sights on gaining an administrative or student services position and my DL teacher Christine is helping me complete CSWE 3.

I can’t believe how lucky I am for all these experiences, friendships and feelings. I don’t own much except a few books and some clothes. However, thanks to my life journey, I have a warm soul which no one can ever take from me. I'm so grateful! 

A big thank you to Ivana for sharing her life adventures in Australia. If you'd like to read more about her singing career just click on this link http://ivanapasovicova.com.au/

• Ivana challenged herself by working in diverse occupations. What are the advantages of working in a variety of jobs?
• Ivana says, 'Having been born a perfectionist, it's difficult to give myself credit for what I've achieved.' Why is it important to acknowledge your achievements?'
• Gratefulness gives Ivana 'a warm soul'. When you are grateful for something, how does it make you feel? 

Elizabeth overcomes disappointment

My name's Elizabeth and I'm from China. I've been in Australia for seven months now. Before coming to Australia my husband and I did a lot of preparation. We made plans to help me find a job here and after a lot of hassles, we successfully brought our two dogs here. Finally, we worked out how much it would cost us to live in Australia for three months and brought sufficient savings with us. Since I'd been here three years earlier and loved what I experienced in Australia, I came with high expectations.

Things however were not the same as what we expected. Originally, we planned to settle in Newcastle, a coastal town not far from Sydney. However, because we could not find a proper house to rent we returned to my husband’s hometown in central NSW. It was difficult as I couldn't find a job for a while. So we put our savings and effort towards starting a new business in pet grooming. It took quite a while for us to settle and it was only after receiving help from my parents-in-law, that our lives got back on-track.

Running the new business has not been easy. One day I received a phone call from one of my clients. I could not hear her very well and she could not understand my English. She began saying something very rude to me over the phone. I felt both sad and angry at the same time. So I became scared of talking to people on the phone. Slowly I stopped answering phone calls and left all the communication jobs to my husband. I was so disappointed.

What helped me was a phone call from the Distance Learning Centre saying that I was able to start my English lessons online. After starting DL I've come to see that all new migrants encounter some kind of problems. Also life is often not what we expect. 

With the help from my DL teacher, Lorinda, I have slowly started talking to my clients. Surprisingly, I am actually able to communicate with them very well. Although there are still times when I have to repeat myself, I feel good about answering phone calls these days.

I still need to work on my English skills and learn more about Australian culture, but I'm sure I will soon build up enough confidence to communicate with all my clients. When that happens, I believe I'll find life in Australia more like what I expected.

Thank you Elizabeth for sharing your feelings and how your DL lessons helped you build up your confidence and overcome your disappointments. Life is often different to what we expect and when things turn out differently it's natural to feel disappointed. 

• What is something you expected which led to a disappointment? What did you do to overcome this disappointment?
• What was a positive thing that resulted from this situation? 
• Talking on the phone is tricky. What tips can you give for communicating on the phone?

A tale of love powering creativity

DL student Susanti

My name is Susanti and I come from Indonesia. The 17th February 2017 was one of the most auspicious days of my life. This is the day I tied the knot with my husband, Chris. I met Chris five years ago while we were both working in Jakarta. It was our love that started my romance with this beautiful country, Australia, and brought me to the peaceful city of Brisbane.

My dream was to make my own wedding dress so I could wear something special that I made with my own hands. I wanted my dress to be unique and one day, if I have a daughter, pass it down to her so she can be proud of her mother.

I believe I inherited my crochet skills from my mother but I had never done a crochet dress before. I had my fair share of doubts before starting work on my wedding dress. Could I finish it on time? Would it be good enough?  It was also a challenge to keep it a secret from Chris as I wanted to give him a nice surprise.

I started working on my wedding dress in mid-November 2016 and finally completed it on my wedding day with some final touches. I love roses so I used white cotton yarn to crochet about a hundred roses for my dress. I lined it with navy blue and added lavender flowers. I spent innumerable happy hours creating something new.

My DL teacher, Sonia, was one of the few people with whom I shared the progress of my dress every week. She inspired me to keep a visual record of how the dress was gradually taking shape. On my wedding day, Chris and the guests were pleasantly surprised which made me proud of all my efforts.

I feel I began a new chapter of my life with a new belief in myself.  I believe that if you have confidence in yourself and try hard to achieve your dreams you can achieve anything that you set your heart upon.  And no matter what lies in the road ahead, staying positive and having patience and faith will get you there.

Congratulations Susanti on your wedding and on this handmade masterpiece. We wish you well in your new life. Thanks for sharing your wonderful, happy story.

• What is something you made that required skill and effort that you were proud of?
• Are we all creative? What empowers your creativity?
• What skills would you like to learn or like to have learnt? Why?