Brimbank Community Learning Strategy Engaging Adult Learners: Lessons from our Learning Champions Deb Chapman, Learning Coordinator, June 2012

2 – Create community of lifelong learners – Dimensions of Learning Obtain and maintain employment Achieve personal fulfillment Build caring and cohesive communities Add to quality of life Enable greater civic participation Aim of Learning Strategy

Now, close your eyes…. 3

What prevents adults from learning? 4

One of our Learning Champions: Aunty Jean Mason, originally from Wilcannia in NSW, has lived in Keilor Downs for 25 years. Currently studying at MumguDhal, indigenous pathways program at Victoria University, St Albans. 5

When English Made my Future Better by Faten Chendeb, Community West, Deer Park 2011 My name is Faten Chendeb and I was born in Lebanon. I have four brothers and three sisters. We lived in a village, which was a very nice place, because it had fresh air, fresh fruit and a very nice weather in spring and summer. I went to study at Arabic school, because my country only speaks Arabic and I also learnt French. I went to university for four years and then became a teacher for primary school at my country. I loved my job. After a few years I got married…my husband went back to Australia…I waited one year in Lebanon before I received my visa. While everything was happening I found out that I was pregnant. When my visa came I got it but my daughter didn’t get the visa because someone made a mistake with her birth certificate in Lebanon. 6

I had to fly to Australia...by myself. I was crying because I left my daughter back there and I missed my family. I was never happy in Australia because I didn’t speak English and I didn’t have my driver’s licence. Everything was different and difficult….after one year my daughter finally got the visa and came to Australia…. After a while I studied two months of English at Community West. Then I stopped because I had four kids and had no time to learn or work. After my kids went to school I started to study English at Community West because the first time I went I was very shy because I never talked English before…. My kids had been helping me how I say a word and what that word means and sometimes I got to the library with my kids to read books and learn new information’s. Sometimes I even read newspapers and it often helps me and I even learn new words…. I am very happy now because my English is not bad...because English had changed all my life…. 7

What prevents adults from learning… and informs our work in creating learning environments… Let’s brainstorm a list together by … Reflecting on your own experiences, and the voices of Aunty Jean and Faten 8