More than words … volunteer English language teaching

As Susi watched the globe spin her eyes darted from one country to the next across a colourful patchwork on a sea of blue. Suddenly she turned towards her classmates with a huge smile stretched across her face. “The world is round! The world is round!” she cried. It was a light bulb moment and Susi wanted to share her excitement with everyone.

Linda Holoman remembers the incident vividly and says it was an incredibly rewarding moment for her as a volunteer teacher for the English language classes organised by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Susi and her husband had fled to Malaysia because of complex human rights abuses in Chin state, Myanmar. Soon after they found refuge in Malaysia Susi’s husband died - she was heartbroken.

“You’ve never seen such a sad face in your life,” recalls Linda. “She never smiled and never laughed, until one day when I brought a globe in to class. I explained to Susi where Malaysia was in relation to Myanmar. It was absolutely amazing to see the very moment she realised the world was round. Her face just lit up.”

Originally from South Dakota in the United States, Linda moved to Malaysia in 2003 for her husband’s work. She has been volunteering with UNHCR for almost two years.

“I had taught English to kids in an Indonesian oil camp our family used to live in, so when I heard they were looking for teachers in Malaysia I thought it would be right up my alley,” says Linda. “I’m actually a biologist and chemist, not a qualified teacher, but I talk a lot and I figure that goes a long way.”

Refugees and asylum-seekers in Malaysia often have financial difficulty accessing education but the English language classes run by UNHCR volunteers provide much needed schooling and the opportunity to learn new skills, as Susi did.

After teaching English for six months in a cabin outside UNHCR’s office in Kuala Lumpur, Linda helped establish additional classes in Cheras, to meet community needs.

The classes are run several times a week at the Chin Women’s Organization (CWO) in Cheras, which operates out of a flat above some shops. The CWO office also provides a home for several of the women and children who attend the classes.

Each Tuesday morning, Linda sits with some 30 women and children on the blue lino-covered floor of their informal classroom. The students greet their teachers with affection and enthusiasm, notebooks in hand and pencils poised for the two-hour class.

English is taught through various tools such as singing and arts and crafts, and also through other subjects like geography and math, and through life-skills classes - finding employment, financial management and problem solving. At the end of each class the women and children and their volunteer teachers share a meal together.

Many of the volunteers working alongside refugees and asylum-seekers in Malaysia say it’s hard to explain how rewarding the experience is.

“They bring more joy to me than I could ever try and bring to them,” says Linda. “Sometimes I feel as though I’m involved for a selfish reason - for me - because it’s such an incredible experience.”

“It’s quite overwhelming, realising you have so much compared to them. I try to think of ways to change my life, even a little, that might help bring them a little bit of hope, fun and laughter.”

Volunteer Gwen Khan is also from the United States, and moved to Malaysia in August 2005 for her husband’s job. She has been volunteering as an English teacher with UNHCR for the past six months.

“I love working with people from different cultures and when I heard about the class Linda was teaching, I asked if I could come along to see what it was all about,” she says. “They were looking for more volunteer teachers, so I got involved.”

Gwen and Linda see their involvement as a small contribution towards addressing the needs of those forced to flee their homeland with little more than the clothes on their backs and a future of uncertainty. They face struggles every day in Malaysia just to provide the basic necessities for their families.

“You often don’t realise how much they look forward to the class, it’s quite humbling. It’s made me realise that just one person can make a difference in another person’s life - you can make a long term impact,” says Gwen.

She is particularly proud of the quieter women who attend week after week and have slowly become comfortable enough to speak in English and actively participate in the class.

With a background in social work and counselling, Gwen was keen to utilise these skills while living in Malaysia. She also volunteers with the Women’s Aid Organization (WAO) for abused women in Kuala Lumpur and in her youngest son’s Boy Scout group.

“Everyone can help out in some way as a volunteer; you can even help out from home if you don’t have a lot of time. No one should feel like they don’t have some skill to share because they always do.”


Gwen and Linda are both hopeful that the women’s group in Cheras will become self-sustaining.

“I would love to see them able to pay the rent every month, put food on the table and get education and health care for their kids,” says Linda. “I would also love to see them embraced by the Malaysian community.”

One Malaysian who has thoroughly embraced the refugee community is Adeline Chin. She has been a UNHCR volunteer for the past three years and teaches a weekly English class on the UNHCR premises.

“The class covers a range of ages from 20 to 60 years. Many of the students held professional jobs in their home countries as nurses, lawyers and businessmen,” says Adeline.

The classroom often swells to capacity with refugees and asylum-seekers from Myanmar, Aceh in Indonesia and other parts of the world, keen to learn English. The classes are informal and Adeline laughs at the idea of a standard lesson plan.

“Each week is different. I like using role-plays and games to keep it interesting and engaging,” says Adeline. “After learning new vocabulary we use the words in real life situations, such as ordering food at a restaurant.”

Many of the students travel a long distance to attend the class by taxi, bus and on foot.

“Some come all the way from Putra Jaya,” says Adeline, naming the country’s administrative capital, some 45km away. “It’s not always easy for them to get here but they are so keen to learn.”

The past two years have also seen the volunteers coordinate a sports day for refugees and asylum seekers living in Malaysia. “This was great to see them out of the class room and it allowed them to put into practice a lot of the English they had learnt.”

Adeline has been a volunteer with a wide range of organizations since she was a teenager both in Malaysia and during her studies in the USA.

“I’ve always enjoyed volunteering and trying to assist other people. When you hear the stories of what many of these refugees and asylum-seekers have been through you feel very grateful for what you have and that you can help them in some way.

“It’s also incredibly rewarding, especially seeing them progress in their English speaking - it’s hard to describe.”

Adeline believes the most important element of volunteering is not so much committing your time but rather making the decision to help others.

“It can be a real challenge at first making that decision,” says Adeline. “I think it’s important for anyone interested to sit in on a class, see what the environment is like and then make a decision about getting involved. Once they do make that decision, they’ll be hooked like I am.”

To find out how you can get involved contact the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur on 03 2141 1322 or email: mlslu@unhcr.org

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