Christine Williams, a retired teacher with a passion for teaching languages, has dedicated her retirement years to volunteering with English Language Partners (ELP) - tutoring English to migrants and former refugees in their homes.
Her story is not just about teaching English but about making a difference in the lives of newcomers to Aotearoa New Zealand.
Christine's background is as a language teacher, and she first taught Japanese in New Zealand, before moving to the Gifu region in Japan, where she taught English for nearly 12 years. So, she was well equipped with the skills and empathy needed for her role as an ESOL home tutor.
She trained in 2009 and says one of her standout memories was when an instructor immersed trainees in a totally unknown language for an hour or two, as it reminded her of the challenges newcomers face when first encountering a ‘strange’ new language.
With over five years’ experience as a home tutor, Christine has now worked with three learners, each with their unique English-learning journey. She says it was ELP's expertise in matching her with ‘perfect fit’ learners that helped her get the most out of her volunteering.
Her first learner was from Indonesia, her second from China, and she now works with a learner from Myanmar's Chin region.
Her current learner’s story is moving. Having lived in a Malaysian refugee camp for seven years before coming to New Zealand, she’s faced many challenges in her settlement journey here.
Christine's role as a tutor extends beyond just teaching English. As one of ELP’s main goals is to help people settle well and participate more actively in society, for Christine, it's all about helping her learner gain independence and become more comfortable in her community.
They study ‘everyday English,’ share laughter and learn together, making their lessons truly enjoyable. Christine takes a holistic approach to tutoring and the pair use the diary that her learner writes in English to improve her understanding, pronunciation, and vocabulary.
Christine’s learner says she loves their lessons together and that Christine’s a good teacher. She’s taught Christine about growing vegetables and a few Chin words related to gardening: making their learning experience all the more special. The two have become firm friends and share a close bond.
Christine says what inspired her to volunteer was wanting to ‘give back’ in her community. She believes people are a huge resource, which makes giving them a hand up so worthwhile.
Christine says New Zealand would be poorer without English Language Partners. She believes that volunteering helps create a stronger sense of community and encourages others to do the same.
“It's a good feeling, knowing that you're doing something so useful. There's so much that you get out of it yourself.”
Christine’s volunteering extends beyond English tutoring. She participates in ELP's tutor training programmes by sharing her experiences with trainee volunteers. She’s also involved in the University of the Third Age (U3A) and organising their theatre group, and she contributes to environmental work as an active member of the Waiwhetu Stream Project.
It’s through volunteers like Christine helping newcomers ‘find their place’ that English Language Partners can contribute so effectively as an organisation to education and community building in New Zealand. The country is undoubtedly richer with dedicated individuals like Christine giving their time, knowledge and care to help Aotearoa benefit from the skills and experience our newer Kiwis bring.
---
Inspired? Become a volunteer home tutor.
We are always looking for more volunteer home tutors around New Zealand. Register your interest as a volunteer home tutor.
