A primary school teacher from Ukraine is utilising her passion for language to help refugees and asylum seekers in Nottingham learn English.
Olena Kvach, 38, who had previously worked as a Primary School teacher in Kyiv, moved to the UK via the Homes for Ukraine scheme in May 2022, and since then has been making use of her skills to help others learn English.
With a passion for language, Olena stared her BA in Linguistics in Kyiv in 2019, completing her studies in the UK before undertaking the 168-hour, level 5 CertTESOL - a qualification in teaching English as a second language.
Olena has now landed a role teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at Nottingham College. Speaking of her time on the course, Olena said: “The course has reinforced my passion for teaching and communicating with people. It is great to meet so many different people from different backgrounds.
“The Cert TESOL course gave me the needed skills and courage to approach teaching people from other backgrounds, especially those who speak too little English for it to serve as a bridge for communication.”
Funded by East Midlands Councils via national Government funding, Flying Cows Learning offers a programme of courses which aims to increase the capacity of ESOL tutors in the region.
The free courses provide TESOL training to people who have moved to the region via Government resettlement programmes and visa schemes, including the Hong Kong BNO visa programme, Homes for Ukraine, and former asylum seekers.
On the programme, Olena said: “The atmosphere and delivery of the course was welcoming and familiar, which I have enjoyed very much. Everyone was really helpful.
“If you have a high level of English language already, the CertTESOL is something I would recommend!”
The Flying Cows programme offers a variety of course levels, from programmes designed for people with lower levels of English ability who want to volunteer or help others in their community, to the world-renowned Trinity CertTESOL, for those looking to have a professional TESOL career.