Ananda, Leapphy and Neda enjoy brushing up their English language skills at EIT.

Leapphy Chea, Ananda Paramita, Nening Daryati are three out of 62 English language learners from South East Asia who are currently studying in New Zealand. They are participating in the ELTO (English Language Training for South East Asian Government Officials) programme, delivered by EIT with funding from the New Zealand government (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade).

ELTO is a NZAID programme. It brings government officials from developing countries to New Zealand to improve their English language skills as well as to study Education, visit work places and learn about best practice. The participants spend five months in Napier and Wellington. Ananda and 30 other officials are currently in Hawke’s Bay for seven weeks after which they will spend 14 weeks in Wellington studying.

Their goal is to improve their English Language skills and be able to further contribute to their countries development. “Within seven weeks we have to read at least five books and write a lot of essays and assignments,” says Neda who works for the Indonesian Ministry of Education designing curricula to be used in schools.

Leapphy, on the other hand, is a Senior Technical Teacher at the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training in Cambodia and Ananda works for the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education in Jakarta, Indonesia. “Our teachers here in New Zealand are very professional. Not only do they teach us English but they also take us for bike rides, walks and to restaurants and beaches so that we also gain an insight into the kiwi lifestyle,” they explain.