Teacher learns from student

Teacher Bernadette, WA

One of the privileges of teaching adult learners is that both teachers and students come with life experiences and can learn different skills from each other.

DL teacher Bernadette showed her great learning skills when her Iranian student Sara taught her how to make a Persian dish from her country. After sharing the recipe and practising the English for giving instructions Bernadette took the recipe and had a go at cooking the dish in her own kitchen with great success.

Bernadette describes this Persian dish as 'divine' and it has become one of her favourite dishes.  She says "Tah-Chin is a layered rice chicken dish which is not only beautiful to present but also very tasty. It is served upside down and cuts like a cake. As my Iranian student Sara explained to me, Iranians love their rice and always layer it with different types of vegetables and meat. The most tasty part of this dish is the bottom layer of the rice, the crunchy 'tah-dig'.  My family loved it and I hope some of our students will try it too."

Check out Sara's Iranian Tah-Chin recipe

Thanks Bernadette and Sara for sharing this tasty recipe.

• Describe a special dish you have from your own country?
• Are you a good cook?  If so what is your specialty dish?
• What food from other cultures do you like to eat or cook and why?

Why not write a comment or an answer to one of the above questions.  

If you make the recipe tell us how it turned out!

Life and Study in the National Park

My name is Karen and I come from Japan.  I met my husband in Western Australia 6 years ago.  We got married and we have been living here for about 3 years.

My husband has a tourist business in Karijini National Park, which is 1500 km away from Perth.  There are a lot of beautiful gorges and natural pools there. It is a spiritual environment with spectacular views.

We live in the National Park 7 months a year during the tourist peak season. I love watching the beautiful sunrise and sunset and the star-filled sky at night.  I enjoy listening to the different birds, swimming and walking in gorges. Sometimes however living in this remote place makes me frustrated because I miss the dynamics of the city life, the concerts, the festivals, dining out, catching up with people, but I try to treasure all the unique experiences here. I have a job too in the National Park.  I work as a Yoga instructor and a massage therapist.  

I enrolled in the DL program to study English in 2014.  My English has been improving dramatically with teacher Bernadette.  Studying online is the perfect study style for me because of the flexibility.

I have also been studying the Interior Design Diploma course online for the last 6 months which is very exciting. I have learnt how to make scale models to represent the characteristics of different architectural styles. In the picture you can see me with the Gothic style miniature interior design.

I am so happy that living in a remote place could not stop me from taking up new challenges, learning, improving and working hard towards my future goals.  Now I have finished my AMEP course and I am proud to have achieved Certificate 3.

Congratulations Karen on completing the CSWE course and thank you for sharing your unique experiences.  We wish you all the best for your future.

• What do you like the most about your lifestyle in Australia?  What do you miss?
• If you had to live in a national park, how would you feel and what would you do?     
• What courses would you like to do in the future?
• What are the pros and cons of studying online?

Why not leave a message for Karen or write an answer to one of the questions below!

For information on DL Holiday Programs for WA students click here.

Changing careers

Yining, Navitas, Perth

I graduated from University of Shanghai, China, in the field of Science and Technology in 2002. I worked for an automotive components company as an Engineer for more than ten years. 

I came to Australia with my family in January 2014 and settled in Perth, Western Australia. At first I tried to send out my resume to many different places to find a job in my field of study as an Engineer. But all I received was rejection letters. 

When I started my Distance Learning AMEP course in June 2014, my DL teacher, Bernadette, chose the theme of Work from Your Call.  I learned how to write a good cover letter and rewrote my resume according to the Australian standards. We also practised job interview questions during class.

My DL teacher also put me in touch with the DL Pathways Advisor, Jennifer, who arranged an interview for me with the Challenger Institute.  I knew I had to change careers so I wanted to find out the best future study option.  They advised me to enrol in Certificate III in Sterilisation because there is a huge demand for new technicians.

After my English improved and I completed the Sterilisation course I sent out my new resume.  I was offered 3 interviews in hospitals and got my first job in a private hospital in Perth in December 2014. I am very happy and I feel I belong in Australia.

I am very lucky that I could study English with DL in Navitas.  I consider my DL teacher, Bernadette, to be my mentor who is guiding my new life in Australia.  I really appreciated the fact that she had a similar experience many years ago and she is willing to share her failure and success stories to encourage me.

Congratulations Yining on your first job in Australia.  We are pleased your DL teacher and Pathways Advisor were able to put you on the right path.

• How do you feel about changing careers?
• The average person changes careers 5-7 times. What do you think are the reasons?
• Have you changed careers yourself?  Why? What were the challenges and the benefits?

Check out the Pathways tab for more information on changing careers.

Why not add a comment below!