WEST COAST COLLEGE
By Dave Roberts
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 now they have. David and Jenny Byatt are opening the West Coast College of English in Bunbury.
The idea has 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 have taught English overseas for a number of years, and in what’s becoming a recurring theme, have family here in the South West, so see it as a great place to return to. While both have teaching experience, David defers to Jenny as the one with the greatest educational experience and it’s she who is the Director of Studies for the College. David will teach as well, but has taken on the role as administrator. Staff selection for other roles appears to be complete, though all the announcements haven’t been made yet.
The College is starting small, and at this point will enrol a maximum of 50 students. They intend 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 will be 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 an alliance with the Dolphin Discovery Centre, and other volunteer roles in development. While the volunteer roles will put something back into the community, it will provide the kinds of interactions for students that David expects 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 has taken premises 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 will add something more to this end of Bunbury’s CBD.
Growing a business like this one is always going to take time. The College has quality staff but as yet, no reputation. Recruiting students overseas has commenced, and a network of agents is in place in 15 countries. At present 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. Students will come from their homes in a range of cities and countries 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 will all be monitored by Jenny and himself, not allocated to staff. Obviously families in Bunbury are encouraged to become involved, but families in Collie, Donnybrook, and Margaret River have already signed on, and any place that can reach Bunbury by normal public transport is going to be a good opportunity. Some of the students will 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 this Saturday, 19 August 2006, from 10 am to 3 pm there’s an open day at the College, 5 Parkfield Way, Bunbury. Worth a look if you’ve got the time at short notice.
August 2006
