We’ve all had a heck of a lot to get used to in the past year. Who knew that a pandemic could turn kitchen tables into school rooms, cause toilet roll anxiety, and bring a fresh understanding of Aretha Franklin’s hit ‘Who’s Zoomin’ Who?’ And for our wonderful band of English conversation classes, up and… Read more »
Hilary Nichols describes her experience leading an English language class, with the help of 2:19, in Highlands Village, North London. The surrounding area comprises lots of flats, with a diverse population. It has been difficult to reach into the community as most people live in closed flats. It is serviced by two large primary schools… Read more »
Watch David tell Jonathan two very different stories of men who met Jesus through 2:19’s work and local churches reaching out to help immigrants.
Caroline Greaves shares with 2:19 some of the joys and challenges of running English classes in Croydon. When and how did you become interested in English Language teaching? I’ve been interested in English language teaching since doing a gap year with BMS World Mission in 2002, working on the ‘Circus of Hope’ in Brazil. This… Read more »
Jane McNabb is based in Plumstead where her husband is pastor of Slade Evangelical Church. Jane is involved in English conversation classes based at the church and has experience of storytelling/Bible studies with lower-level English learners. You can hear the seminar that she lead at Forum 2016 on Bible storytelling here. Could you tell us… Read more »
Natasha from ‘Selam’ English school in Croydon chats with Marina about her group and what makes it special. Could you begin by giving us a brief description of your English School? We have been going since April 2014, when my friend Rachel and I set up the class. We both have lived and worked abroad… Read more »
Ai came to London as a student in 2003 but only one month after her arrival, she injured herself whilst doing Kendo, a type of Japanese fencing. Unfortunately she’d torn her Achilles tendon and had to endure surgery followed by a lengthy recovery – six months without being able to walk on it. This was… Read more »
This is Mohammed, and he’s from Babylon in Iraq. He moved to Croydon in December 2015, and he attends the Vineyard English School there. Mohammed and his wife are both doctors, and he has worked in many different countries: Angola, Lebanon, Syria, Libya, Soviet Union and Yemen. He brought medical aid to people in need…. Read more »
Syrian Hayk knows all about being a refugee. In the last 20 years, he has been a failed migrant, a successful voluntary migrant, a deportee and a forced migrant. He has travelled from the north of Syria to Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Cuba, Austria Spain, France, and Belgium all in a desperate attempt to reach the… Read more »
I’m 50 years old, trained as a nursery nurse, and was working as a teaching assistant when our lives took an unexpected turn in 2010. My youngest child, aged 13, developed serious mental health problems and I was forced to give up work in order to become his full time carer. This was a really… Read more »
My adventure with “Bridges” started six years ago, soon after I had come to England. I could hardly speak any English but having graduated from university with teaching qualifications in Poland I dreamt about working in a school, so I decided to enrol onto a course. I joined evening classes in one of Reading’s Language… Read more »
Aggy left her problems behind her, and with her infant son and partner, packed her bags and turned her back on Poland. Despite her economics degree from Poland’s top Krakow University, she agreed to menial work in a UK town and bumbled along with broken English. It wasn’t long before other Poles told them about… Read more »
