Scotland’s colleges have been instrumental in helping Ukrainian people build their homes away from home, and learning the English language is a vital first step to them integrating within the community.
Ukrainian student Svitlana Norel is currently studying on the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course run by Borders College, following her studies on the Community Learning and Development course, run by Scottish Borders Council (SBC).
It’s been a life-changing experience for the artist following her move to Scotland two years ago. The 45-year-old mother of two came to Scotland from Odessa, Ukraine, and now lives in Galashiels with her youngest son, who studies at Earlston High School.
While living in Ukraine, she worked at an art school. She now hopes to follow her passion by becoming an art teacher in Scotland.
In addition to her studies, she attends the weekly face-to-face Conversational Café and an online mixed-level conversation class to boost her skills.
Svitlana said:
“The ESOL course has been vital to my progression in this country. I have spent a lot of time studying the English language, and I am grateful to have been given the opportunity.
“When I arrived, I didn’t understand English, and it was very difficult. Now I can carry on a conversation. This is important as communication is part of people’s lives, such as visiting the doctor or asking about something in the store, etc.
“The more I learn, the more I understand that I still need to study a lot in order to communicate effectively.”
Svitlana said that her experience has been difficult but rewarding, adding:
“The way I see it, learning another foreign language opens the whole world, it's like living another life. English is an international language, and knowledge of it allows you to communicate with people from different countries.
“The most important advice in learning a language is to practice regularly, repeat the material learned in class, and enjoy learning. I would also recommend listening to music, reading short articles, and watching videos in English.”
As well as learning to become an art teacher, Svitlana still works as an artist and sells her paintings online. You can view her website using the link below.