BrimbankCommunity Learning Strategy

Engaging Adult Learners: Lessons from our Learning Champions

Deb Chapman, Learning Coordinator, June 2012

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– 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

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• Now, close your eyes….

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• What prevents adults from learning?

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• 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.

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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.

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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….

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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