Volunteer call to English teachers

By Shaun Inguanzo
VOULA Vagena arrived in Australia from Greece six years ago without being able to speak English.
She was recently rushed to a hospital and, because of English language lessons with Noble Park’s Adult Multicultural Education Services, she could explain her intense pain to a doctor.
Had it not been for the basic English she learned in her first few lessons at AMES, Voula would have been in a very awkward position.
And had it not been for Georgina Papazoglou’s willingness to volunteer as an AMES English tutor, Voula may not have learned the English words for body parts, which she used to tell her doctor the location of her pain.
Georgina, 55, is an example of what AMES is in desperate need of – volunteers.
The group is calling for anyone who can speak English to help tutor AMES students in basic English. The experience includes a free accredited tutor course, which AMES Volunteer Tutor Program coordinator Nada Railic said lasts for six weeks.
Ms Railic said the weekly involvement for volunteer tutors is only one or two hours a week, but the service relies on volunteers to keep costs down to give Greater Dandenong’s large migrant community enough English to cope with everyday circumstances.
“We assist them to learn basic, everyday English, make links in their new community and understand the Australian way of life,” Ms Railic said.
“Tutoring is a home and centrebased activity.”
Tutors do not need to know a second language, do not need to be teachers or have teaching experience.
They will have all AMES resources at their disposal and would only need to focus on basic English, she said.
Being an AMES tutor has its perks and benefits.
Ms Papazoglou said her volunteer experience had helped her to grow and gain more confidence.
Having arrived in Australia as a teenager from Greece, Ms Papazoglou said the AMES service offered her a chance to perfect her own English by providing lessons to Voula.
The pair have formed a friendship, and more often than not Ms Papazoglou said the volunteer job was more like “going to socialise”.
Ms Railic added that AMES tutors had the option of staying with the service after the minimum six months’ commitment the organisation asks of its tutors.
To find out more, contact Nada Railic on 8558 8800.