The Little Refugee Part 2

With the backdrop of an "Expert Panel" nominated by the Australian Government, examining what can be done about boatloads of arrivals of asylum seekers, here is the next snippet of a refugee's settlement process, as viewed by his English teacher.
The young monk began to learn English with great enthusiasm. He arrived the first morning with his exercise book from the camp. He showed pages of copied text:-
The book is on the table.The book is under the table...

Each sentence was rewritten many times. So he had had some exposure to the English language. But I'm not sure how much if any, he understood. However, he applied himself to learning, with the goal of proficiency one day. It soon showed that he was practising everything at home, and rote learning huge chunks of language. But it takes time to perceive the new sounds of a language, particularly one that would not have been heard often (Australian accent)in his early life. He was studying many hours a day from the beginning, and soon built up knowledge of the language which outdid his fellow students, even those from more educated backgrounds. But he lacked the opportunities to converse in English, in uncontrived settings. This was largely because he was a monk, and therefore couldn't take part in the social opportunities oferred through footy or music.

He also faced a dilemma often seen when helpers work closely with a new arrival:- there comes a point when the habits and lifestyle of the helper are not able to be adopted by the learner- because the helper is typically affluent, and the learner as yet unemployed. From the beginning, male volunteers could go shopping or paying bills with the monk, until he became familiar with the process. But when it comes to choices of product in the supermarket, and he asks which oil to buy, do we show him the one we buy, or the cheapest one? Too much choice is confusing... He had limited funds. I wonder what he thought of the people who tried to help his little group of settlers? Were his people treated with dignity at all times? They had already lived for many years in a camp where choice had been taken away... Were we perpetuating that unwittingly? Were they herded from department to department because the government or a helper thought they should be..?  

First day of a new life...

I know the Department of Immigration has changed its stance somewhat, by giving new arrivals a say in whether they want some of the "non-essential" services like dental, whereas a few years ago appointments were made automatically for them. However, this group was compliant and agreeable, as culture dictated, and at least they did receive some basic dental checks!

There were many good moments also. Delight showed on the monk's face when he was introduced to the treasures and bargains of the local second-hand bookshop. He devoured books from the library,with no worries about going to the children's section to sift out the simpler texts. He developed a taste for geography, and the maps that were a real mystery to him at the beginning soon came alive for him. His mind was like a dry sponge each morning, soaking up and filtering new information. He walked everywhere around town and soon became a recognised figure in his saffron robes. He sees humor in many situations, and his familiar laugh is a tonic to all around him. One day we were doing a class exercise which involved a lot of walking around and asking questions, and it was very noisy. When I wanted to call things to a halt I had trouble being heard. He got up, came to the middle of the class, and said "Shut up!" in a quiet but commanding voice. Everyone stopped in shock, and he laughed at his instant success!

One day we all caught the local bus, and went round and round til we knew where the nearest bus stops were, and which stop each family needed to get on and off. The bus has a rising platform for people with a wheelchair or pram, and this was initially quite scary for people who had no prior experience of using transport. From that, the monk progressed and was soon travelling unaided  right into Melbourne, (with bus changes as there is no direct bus), and experiencing the delights of the Aquarium and Museums.