Page 31 - ELG2309 Sep Issue 486

FEATURE

students kept appearing without having been
tested. Sometimes, I did not have enough Get involved!
handouts. It was hot in the basement. There
were constant interruptions. It was tiring Multicultural Richmond (MCR) provides comprehensive support to 300 individuals
work for a 75-year-old who had done no each year who are facing racial disadvantage, loneliness, language barriers,
teaching for more than 3 years. But the tricks harassment, and hate crimes. This support includes English language classes,
of the trade had not deserted me: smile; advice and support for victims of hate crimes, and community events that promote
be organized; demonstrate that you can be diversity and inclusion.
dependable in a critical situation; use lots MCR is active throughout the year and is based at Whitton Social Centre, 111a
of hand gestures; do comic drawings on the Kneller Road, Twickenham TW2 7DT.
whiteboard; encourage students to help each If you are based in London, UK and want to volunteer your expertise, get in
other; praise small successes; inject humour touch with MCR by calling Ravi Arora (Director) on 020 8893 9444 or email:
where possible. ravi@multiculturalrichmond.org.uk.
I tended to hang about after class which Peter also encourages those outside of London to search potential volunteering
gave some students the opportunity to tell me opportunities in their local area!
things about themselves. I found that students
took an interest in me, and there was a clear
reaction of relief when they found out I was an exam. When I explained this to a friend,
English. I’m not sure what else they thought he observed, ‘You were a stepping-stone.’ Peter Hill began teaching
I might have been! Now, I run one class in Richmond and English in 1966, and has
In August I appeared on television; an item one in Twickenham; the charity I work for worked in a number of
on the social activities based at the restaurant can only pay me for one class. My future is countries, including Sweden
appeared on BBC television’s London news. uncertain, but the futures of my students and Yugoslavia. He has
The side and back of my head dominated are even more uncertain. Ukrainians are seen a variety of fashions
the screen for a few seconds. That was the currently seeking refuge in the UK, not in teaching come and go,
high point! asylum. The longer the war goes on, more and has observed the bureaucratization of
A year later I have learnt a number of them are likely to stay. They have proved EFL in further education and higher education
of things. Student attendance has been excellent students, are keen to learn about in the UK. He is now operating in the calmer
erratic. Initially I was offended. But I found UK life and institutions, and are very waters of the charity sector, in which he
that students had returned to Ukraine, or grateful for what they have been offered. currently teaches Ukrainian and Hong Kong
they had jobs, or they had gone to local If they remain, I predict they will make students. Peter can be contacted at:
colleges. After all, they had paid no fees to very useful contributions as accidental peterhill.london@gmail.com
come to my classes, and I was not offering immigrants.

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editorial@elgazette.com 31