DL Pathways Advisor celebrates Chinese New Year

Jennifer, Pathways Advisor

My name is Jennifer. Some of you may already know me as I'm one of the Pathways Advisors for DL students.

I come from Fujian in South China.  I came to Australia 7 years ago as an International student and completed two Masters degrees in Education and Translation with the University of NSW.  Fortunately when I was doing my studies, I met the man who would become my husband.  We have since settled in Sydney and have a 2 year old daughter.

I joined Navitas in 2011 as a bilingual support officer and assisted students in the classrooms.  Now I work as a Pathways Advisor for Mission Australia and I am based at the Distance Learning office in Sydney.

I like my job because it allows me to help students. By giving students career advice I help them make informed choices with their career path in a new country. It's rewarding to know I make a difference.

As well as career guidance, I conduct initial and exit interviews with DL students. I also deal with student feedback and can help students with any personal issues.

This week I'll celebrate Chinese New Year by cooking a feast for my family. The Year of the Rooster is an important year in my family because it's the year my mother was born. l plan to make stir fry lobster with crispy noodles, rice cakes and other traditional dishes from South China. In China the celebrations are about visiting friends and family, but since I don't have a big family here we'll go to the city to experience the festive atmosphere.  I plan to visit the Chinese New Year Market and the Lantern Show in Sydney.

If you need any learning or career advice you can contact Jennifer on (02) 9707 0276.
Students referred by a Navitas college can contact the Pathways Advisor in their college.

We wish all our DL students prosperity and good fortune in the New Year.  新年快乐

• What traditions do you have for special celebrations in your culture?
• How are your celebrations different in Australia from in your home country?

Beach safety

Going to the beach is a popular pastime in Australia specially when the weather gets too hot over the summer months. The beach is a wonderful place but it also has some dangers.

On average, one person has drowned every week at an Australian beach for the last 5 years and on average 10 people are rescued every day. Tourists and those who are unfamiliar with the beach are at a greater risk of drowning.

Luckily not every incident results in a fatality, however those who survive a drowning incident often suffer from a range of lifelong health issues.

Statistics for 2016 show that 83% of drowning deaths were males. New South Wales recorded the highest number of incidents, followed by Queensland, Victoria then Western Australia.

Discuss these questions with your teacher and share you comments below:

1. Do you like going to the beach? Why / Why not?
2. What activities can people enjoy at the beach?
3. What kind of dangers are there at Australian beaches?
4. What are the causes of drowning?
5. How do you keep safe at the beach?
6. Have you had a scary incident in the water?

You can find more information by reading this beach safety flyer or watching this YouTube video.

Yanie meets her DL teacher in Jakarta

Teacher Ross and Yanie

My name is Yanie and I come from Indonesia.  I started my AMEP course at Maclean TAFE, north of NSW in February 2015 but I had to stop because my husband and I wanted to go on a short trip to visit some places in NSW. I didn't want to stop studying English so I found out about Distance Learning and started my lessons the same time we started our trip.

I have been studying with my teacher Ross since April 2015 and we have developed a special connection. Ross happened to have a special interest in Indonesia. He has Indonesian friends so he is familiar with the culture and has been to Indonesia many times. We both particularly like Indonesian culinary art and often chat about Indonesian food and lifestyle.

My husband and I moved to Toowoomba in Queensland and luckily I found a job. Despite being busy with work I have never missed a class. My teacher Ross has helped me improve my English and gain confidence.  It's been over a year since I met Ross over the Internet and I often wondered if I would ever get to meet him face to face.

One day Ross told me that he was planning a holiday to Indonesia. I was feeling a bit jealous because I had not gone back to my home country since coming to Australia and I was feeling homesick. When Ross returned and told me about his wonderful trip and all the nice food he had I was so tempted to go back.

I was finally able to take leave and my husband and I arranged to stop at Bali for a holiday then go to Jakarta to see my family. I told Ross that I would miss his classes while I was away. But one month before our departure Ross told me that he was also going to be in Indonesia by the time we were there which was a great surprise.

We arranged a time to catch up in Jakarta and I was so excited to meet Ross for real. We had lunch together and talked for hours. I couldn't believe that we finally got the chance to meet face to face and the timing was right for both of us to be in Indonesia.

As soon as I returned from my holiday I resumed my DL lessons. I am grateful that I have a teacher who not only teaches me good English but also has appreciation and respect for my culture. I hope we can meet again one day.

Thanks Yanie for sharing your interesting story and it's great to see your commitment to learning.

• What do you miss the most about your home country?
• How is meeting people over the Internet different from or similar to meeting them face to face?
• If you were to arrange a holiday, where would you like to go and why?

Note: If you are visiting Sydney you are welcome to visit our DL office and arrange to meet your teacher.  

Please share your comments below to Yani's story or to any of the discussion questions.  If you're not sure how to add a comment go the "Comments" tab of the top menu.

Aguer keeps positive

My name is Aguer and I’m from South Sudan. I come from a big family who are still living in my country. I’m married to a Sudanese man who has lived in Australia for 11 years and is a Mathematics and Science teacher.  I have been here for 10 months and I am already feeling very settled and happy. My English has improved a lot since I started in Distance Learning with my teacher Lisbeth who has given me so much help and support.

I was introduced to my husband through my family and after we got married in South Sudan I joined him in Australia. We now live in a small town in Queensland called Charters Towers, which was founded in the 1870s, when gold was discovered here.

When I was very young my life was not easy. Due to war and persecution my mother and I were forced to live in a refugee camp, called Kakuma, for 7 years. It was very difficult to live in the camp in very harsh conditions.  I’m however a very positive person and I like challenges.  I feel so blessed to be here in this great country where I can start a new life.  I’m determined to improve my English in DL and by volunteering in the community and eventually get a good job.

I’m so lucky because my Home Tutor, Bruna, works at the local Information Centre so this is how I became a volunteer there 2 days a week.  It's lovely working at the Centre because all the staff members are so helpful. I assist Bruna by giving information to tourists. I love meeting new people and I enjoy talking to them. 

I love volunteering because I believe it is important not just to focus on working to earn money but to give back to the community wherever possible.  There was an article in the local newspaper about volunteering and the theme was ‘Give Happy, Live Happy’ which celebrates that there is so much more to volunteering than simply giving your time and skills to help others, it’s a core part of the community.  What goes around comes around.

As for my future plans, I want to work with children and I am going to enrol in a Certificate 3 in Early Childhood and Care. After I complete this course I want to work in a childcare centre and then maybe be a nurse. I am not sure yet, but I know that I’ll work very hard at achieving my goals. My DL teacher, Lisbeth, told me that in Australia everyone can have a fair go!

I hope that one day when I am settled here in Australia and I have a good job, I can build a small school for children in my hometown in South Sudan. I love children and I want to help them get a better education, because I think education is the key to a better future and a better life.

Thanks Aguer for sharing your wonderful story.  We wish you all the best for your future.

• What kind of challenges migrants face before and after coming to Australia?
• What helps migrants overcome their challenges?
• Why is it important to give back to the community? What could this look like for you?
• If you had the opportunity to give back to your country of origin, what would you do?

Happy New Year for 2017

Hello everyone and welcome to 2017.  I hope you've enjoyed Christmas and had a wonderful break.

My name is Nadia. I am the Academic Manager of Distance Learning and the editor of the blog. I thought it was about time I introduced myself and shared a personal message with you.

I don't know what kind of year you had in 2016 but I know that as migrants trying to settle in a new country you must have faced many challenges and in fact not only you but the whole world is wishing for a happier new year.

Last year I came across an inspiring story about a woman who, like all of us, was looking for happiness. A wise nun advised her to take time out every day to reflect on the day and find something she was grateful for. Being a photographer she took a photo and wrote a little note every day of something she was grateful for. This turned out to be her 365grateful project that changed the way she viewed life and helped her be happy.

I took up the challenge in 2016 and even downloaded the app on my iPad. I took a photo every day and added a note about something I was thankful for.  Although admittedly I couldn't last the year, this exercise helped me develop a habit of gratitude and what a difference this made!

At the end of 2016 all the DL team just did that. We stopped, reflected on the year, and decorated our Christmas tree with our notes of gratitude.  Here are some of the things teachers were grateful for:

• The meaningful AMEP program that makes a difference. We all know it costs the government millions of dollars yet is offered free to new migrants
• You, the DL student, and for the rewarding experience of teaching you and seeing you learn, grow and achieve your goals
• The fantastic DL team of teachers who are extremely talented and caring, and I dare say fun to work with

I'd also like to add my gratitude for every student who showed commitment and worked hard to face the challenges of learning a new language. And what a beautiful peaceful country we live in where everyone is valued and respected for who they are.  I also want to thank the students who shared their inspiring stories of courage and determination on the blog in 2016.

There will always be one more word to learn, book to read, skill to master, dream to realise and challenge to conquer in 2017. But I hope you can stop and celebrate what you already have and what you've already achieved.

Having said all that I wish you a VERY HAPPY new year full of gratitude.

• What are 3 things in 2016 you are grateful for?
• What wishes do you have for 2017?
• What are your thoughts on the relationship between gratitude and happiness?

Note: Link to 365grateful story.

Eudes goes sailing this Christmas

I am a DL Level 3 student and I come from Venezuela in South America. I enjoy my classes with my teacher John because I work full time and I don’t have time to go to regular classes. We do various activities ranging from grammar, role plays, pronunciation corrections, (the “j” in Spanish is a hard one) and discuss many topics.

Before I came to Australia, I did some research about where to live and decided on the Gold Coast, Queensland because it has a great climate. It was the correct decision.

A few months ago my friend and I decided to invest in a sailing boat. We enrolled in a sailing class and obtained our sailing licences. I've been sailing for 6 months here on the Gold Coast. It is a great place to learn because there are a lot canals where you can sail in calm water and many beautiful small islands which vary in character. Some have crystal clear water with lots of animals.

I used to spend Christmas with my family back home but because I don't have family here I decided to do something different for Christmas and go sailing to Moreton Island. This will be our second time to sail there so my friend and I have a bit more experience but we can't be overconfident because this is a long and quite dangerous route with one stretch of water where many boats have gone down.

Our 24 ft sailing boat is equipped with solar panels, a small stove, a big 100 litre water tank and beds for 5 people.  It has just the basic things so we will take a big esky full of food, ice and some beers. Hopefully we won't use the engine if the wind is good and we'll catch some big fish.

Thanks Eudes for sharing your story. We wish you a safe and fabulous adventure.  

• How are you spending Christmas this year?
• Have you changed any of your traditions because you're now living in a different country?
• What were the highlights of 2016 for you?

This is our last blog story this year. From all of us in the Navitas DL team, we thank you for joining the program in 2016 and we wish you a very happy Christmas and a safe holiday until we return again on 3rd January 2017.

Anita finishes AMEP on a high

Anita and Teacher Erika

My name is Anita and I come from Ecuador, South America.  I live in Newcastle, NSW.  When I came to Australia I spoke very little English.  I couldn't do anything by myself and I needed help. So in March, 2015 I met my AMEP Distance Learning teacher, Erika, for the first time.  A few days later I also met my Home Tutor.

Since then, both of them have been my inspiration to succeed. They have encouraged me a lot and had enormous patience.  I am about to complete my 510 hours.  During the last 18 moths I have learnt to rely on myself, go to the shops and interact with other people. My husband thinks that I have now become good at spending money because I can go out and do the shopping by myself.

I had a strong desire to learn English and having a bilingual DL teacher who can speak Spanish helped me understand the language and the culture better.

A few weeks ago my family and I travelled to Sydney to see the "Cirque du Soleil" show.  It was a good opportunity to finally meet my teacher Erika face to face.  We met at the hotel where I was staying and had lunch together.  It was wonderful to see her in person after all our Skype lessons.

This week I'll have my last AMEP lesson but I know that Erika and I will always remain in touch. I feel more confident now and I hope that one day I will be able to do a beautician course and start my own make-up business.

Congratulations Anita and well done for finishing your hours and improving your English.  Our best wishes for the next step.

• What would you like to do more independently as your English improves?
• Where do you get your inspiration to keep on learning?
• How many AMEP hours do you have remaining? What would you like to see yourself achieving in this time?
• If you had the chance to visit Sydney what are 3 things you would like to do or see?

Why not add a comment to support Anita or an answer to one of the questions below!