Language programme suffers crushing blow

ENGLISH speaking classes for South Africans and refugees conducted by the NGO Talk English, are under threat after the primary school where the classes are conducted on Saturdays, has decided it has other use for its classrooms.

The volunteer organisation has made use of the classrooms at the school, rent free, since 2005. No, unless other rent free premises can be found, the classes will have to be stopped, impacting negatively on hundreds of people desperate to learn to speak English so that they can source work and support their families.

Founders, Julie Douglas and Sarah Ralfe, came up with the idea after they completed a CELTA (Cambridge Certifcate in teaching English to other language speakers) course in Durban. Seeing its potential to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged people, they decided to give free lessons to refugees, using up-to-date international teaching methods.

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Premises were offered and, with the help of other volunteer teachers, classes started. Twelve years later, Talk English is thriving and still a volunteer organisation with around 20 teachers and one part-time administrator. It receives little funding, lessons are still free and teachers still volunteer their skills for free.

However, its focus has evolved in that 75 per cent of its students are now South Africans wanting to improve their English skills. Such is the demand that hundreds are turned away each year.

Since 2005 Talk English has changed the lives of thousands of people who have gone on to find jobs, support their families and, in some cases, obtain university degrees or other qualifications.

Cedrik Bwila was one. Cedrik was a teacher in his early 20s when he fled the DRC to escape civil war, leaving behind his entire family. He arrived in South Africa knowing only a few words of English. After studying with Talk English, Cedrik went on to register with DUT where he obtained a qualification in Emergency Medical Care.

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The volunteer teachers teach three hours of English on Saturday mornings to between 60 to 80 adults and 15 children. They offer four stages of proficiency and hand out attendance certificates at the end of each semester.

Talk English teachers also work with Refugee Social Services giving lessons to refugee women and children and have conducted research for the British Council on the user-friendliness of their new online Aptis English test. With US funding, they have also helped 24 Grade 10 learners from a school in Umlazi improve their English and prepare them for English medium universities.

With funding and support, Talk English can make an ever bigger difference, but for now their focus is finding new premises to continue the work they do. If anyone can help, contact Julie on 082 784 3400 or Cheryl on 082 797 1023.

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