4 November 2000
Stuart Wood

Asylum seekers and other immigrants have to face many challenges just to get to the UK. When they arrive, there is more and one of the most important things that they have to grapple with first is the English language. For Chinese immigrants, this poses a particular difficulty because of the unfamiliarity with roman characters. However, with good teaching and encouragement learning English as a foreign language becomes less of a mammoth task. One language school which we are happy to recommend is the English Language Centre at Wigan and Leigh College.

Stephen, one of the language teachers there interviewed Tracy Choi for us, an 18 year old Chinese A level student.

How long have you lived in the UK?
- I have been in the UK for 5 years.

How easy was it for you to understand English when you arrived?
- I had great difficulty with handwriting and grammar. I refused to speak to English people, my classmates, because I thought they would laugh at me.

Does having better English help you find a more comfortable way of belonging in this culture?
- In a way, although I still think in Chinese, and English stress patterns still confuse me. This means I am translating from English into Chinese, so literal translations don't always help, and this can make life difficult.

What seems most unfamiliar about English culture?
- Speed of life is slower, there isn't enough entertainment.

For more information about the language courses at Wigan College contact
Lucy Hale
ESOL Manager at Wigan & Leigh College
PO Box 53, Parsons Walk
Wigan WN1 1RS
UK,

or visit http://www.wigan-leigh.ac.uk for general information about the college.