The ELP Christchurch ESOL Intensive class studies Monday to Thursday, 18-hours per week for 15 weeks.

This class is designed for learners at a beginner-elementary level of English to continue on their language learning journey.  The class this year is made up of 10 learners from a wide range of countries: Thailand, Samoa, Jordan, Ethiopia, Yemen, Fiji, Iraq, Egypt and Iran. The group enjoy meeting every day to study together.

Wendy, their adored teacher, ensures that learners improve their vocabulary development as well as their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, with a key focus on it being functional, everyday English.

The class is very practical to help the learners develop skills to manage daily tasks, like taking public transport, making telephone appointments or asking for directions.

To support their learning, she arranges class trips regularly to ensure the learners get to put their language into practice. Last term for example, they went to the local pharmacy, to learn what their local pharmacist can do for them, as well as all the words they would need to understand, eg prescription, medication etc.  

They also visited the new library and the museum.  These class trips teach the learners more about what’s on offer in Christchurch and builds their confidence to try visiting these new places in the weekends with their families.

In Term 3, the class enjoyed a trip to the port suburb of Lyttelton. This included learning about some of the colourful  history of this town, visiting some historical sites, as well as going to a café. Each learner had to practise using English to make their order. Thankfully they all did very well and ended up getting the order they wanted!

The trip ended with the class enjoying a picnic lunch together whilst overlooking the beautiful Whakaraupō, Lyttelton Harbour.