Conversation Group Workshop

Standing - Lake,Yoko, Alanna,Carole and in front- Ania and Roma.

Our workshop was held at "The Shamrock" which serves Korean and Australian food and is staffed by Korean and Japanese backpackers.

You may well ask why the Irish name and the Asian staff and cuisine?

 I think it reflects the changes in Hillston over the years and, indeed the changes in all of Australian society as we accept our place as neighbours of Asia. Eventually the restaurant will become "The Seoul Kitchen." It is already on the menus.

Jenny, Alanna,Carole, Ania, Roma and Sue enjoy sharing ideas and lunch together.

Why were we there and why at "The Shamrock "?

We were there through the generosity of Uniting care Aging in providing a grant to training, resources and catering and also the generosity of Hillston locals prepared the give their time freely each week to help non-native speakers learn and improve their English.

Closely perusing the resources.

The day was very successful as Alanna Townsend, our language teacher from TAFE in Griffith, presented us with handouts,advice and research about good resources to be found online to use with our students.





 It was also a chance to say thank you by providing lunch for the volunteers to show how much we appreciate what they do.

There is more training and support to come as tutors and the conversation group, as local native speakers, continue to work with backpackers and also with locals on AMEP programs, which provide 500 hours of free tuition to those on visas enabling them to live in Australia, with a view to taking citizenship.

This English program has been a major focus of Sue's work for this part of the year and it is hoped by sharing it, others will be encouraged to take up this work elsewhere.