South West Life

The world language has changed from era to era, and there have been moments when if you wanted to travel and trade you were best to understand Latin, then at other times French.  Marco Polo doubtless saw the value of a bit of Mandarin, and with a better education I’d be able to tell you whether it was ever necessary to have Babylonian or Persian to be a world trader.

Things move on and change and today the closest thing we have to a world language is English.  Being able to speak in the tongue we consider normal is a valuable commodity around the globe, and hopefuls are paying to learn it in any number of ways and places.  Sooner or later someone had to recognise the opportunity we have to accommodate people in the South West and teach in our relaxed and attractive culture, and they did.  David and Jenny Byatt  opened the West Coast College of English in Bunbury.

The idea surely occurred to others, but like every good idea, it has to occur to those with the skills, experience, and availability to do the job.  David and Jenny had taught English overseas for a number of years, and in what’s becoming a recurring theme, had family here in the South West, so saw it as a great place to return to.  While both had teaching experience, David deferred to Jenny as the one with the greatest educational experience and it’s she who took on the role of Director of Studies for the College.  David teaches as well, but took on the role as administrator.

The College is started small, enrolling a maximum of 50 students,  but now teach around 130 students a year from over 20 countries and their reputation is growing  Their intention has always been to present a very Australian experience to students, and those who come to study will leave with not just an ability to speak the language, but a sense of the life that we live here in the South West.

Students are involved in a range of activities that give them opportunities to use their English, as well as meet the locals and understand how we live.  David speaks with some excitement about  alliances with the Dolphin Discovery Centre, Leschenault Native Nursery and Big Swamp Wildlife Park.  While the volunteer roles put something back into the community, they also provide the kinds of interactions for students that David hopes will make this college one of the choice places for students to learn or improve their English and drive both prestige and enrolments into the future.

The College is located at 5 Parkfield St, Bunbury, directly over the road from the public library, and next to a privately run art gallery.  David sees this as the beginnings of a cultural precinct that adds something more to this end of Bunbury’s CBD.

Growing a business like this one is always going to take time.  The College has been open about 3.5 years, and has agents in over 26 countries and students from 4 continents.  Another source of students is people who have already made it as far as Western Australia.  We all remember from our own school days, the classroom lessons were important, but there is more to whether the experience was one we’d be happy to submit to again.  Much of it was about the people we met, and the peripheral experiences like sport, camps, adventures.  This is where the South West public has a role, the West Coast College of English is offering as central to it’s role, a home stay program for students living within an hour of Bunbury.  Students come from their homes and enjoy hospitality with local families for the duration of their course.

An agreement has been formulated by the college which is fair to both sides, in which the student is included in family life and contributes financially and with household duties to a certain level.  The host family provides accommodation, food, and obviously the cultural experience.  This part of the program is so important to the overall outcome, David says that it is monitored by Jenny and himself, not allocated to staff.  Obviously families in Bunbury are encouraged to become involved, but families in Collie and Donnybrook  have already signed on, and any place that can reach Bunbury by normal public transport within an hour is going to be a good opportunity.  Some of the students need to find part time work while they’re here, so farms that can reach an agreement with students to use their labour are especially welcome to contact the college.

Students at present are primarily from Asia, reflecting David and Jenny’s experience, but they are eager to reach out and expect that they’ll be attracting enrolments from Eastern Europe, South America, and the Middle East.  Got space for a student and a taste for an international experience?  This could be a chance for you to do something really cool.  West Coast College of English is contactable on 9792 5508 or at www.westcoastcollege.com.au.