Congratulations! All on our Hutt centre’s recent ‘Professional Speaking for Migrants’ have just passed the Speech New Zealand exam they were studying for.

Students in this amazing class come from Argentina, Armenia, Chile, India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, and all have been in New Zealand for fewer than five years!

The 10-week course helps people from non-English speaking backgrounds master the art of giving a formal presentation to a group. Students also participate in reading exercises and role-plays.

The content relates directly to the participants’ occupations which, for this class, included IT, administration, accounting, teaching, a scientist and a chef. As well as learning how to make a presentation, people also mastered how to introduce and thank a speaker, read aloud, engage in impromptu discussions and handle real-life interactions with customers and colleagues.

The students were unanimous in their praise for the course, especially for extending their use of English in a professional environment and developing their confidence in public speaking.

Congratulations to all the participants who will soon be receiving their Speech New Zealand certificate.

Professional Speaking for Migrants graduates with Heather Salmon, class teacher

Ask your local centre about their English courses