Student Miran Osmanpor arrived in the UK just aged 17. Miran is a refugee from Iran, and was recommended to study our English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course in 2017 by his foster family, local to the Trafford area.
Miran started studying the ESOL Entry 2 course at Trafford College. Kurdish is his first language, and at the time he had no previous experience with the English language. Miran explained how the course helped him to make initial connections with people and the community around him.
He said “The staff encourage you to speak English all the time, and to try and refrain speaking to any friends in your own language. This helped me a lot as I was able to progress fast and learn quickly.“
In Miran’s second year, he progressed onto his ESOL Entry 3 course where he further developed his English language skills. Miran used a variety of methods to study, with his post-it note method becoming famous across the college.
By his third and fourth year, Miran progressed even further. He was then able to study our Pre-GCSE course, followed by full-time GCSE English and Maths.
“Miran came through to the Full-Time GCSE programme from Progression Curriculum. We have a large intake of overseas students, who, like Miran, can gain GCSE qualifications post-16 and can progress on to level 3 courses that would otherwise have not been possible. Miran worked with dedication and enthusiasm and we are very proud of how far Miran has come.“ – Saqib, GCSE Lecturer
Now, Miran is studying our Access to HE course in Social Sciences course, which includes Sociology, Criminology and Psychology. He has applied to study Law at Manchester Metropolitan University in September.
We spoke to Miran to see just why he chose Trafford College, and why he has studied with us for five years and kept returning.
“The support at college was unbelievable. From when I arrived and still to the present day, the support staff in student services, the teaching staff I’ve worked with over my studying, and the Learning Facilitator staff have become my family. I have been through tough times with them and I am so grateful for everyone I’ve met on my journey.“
“College has made me feel safe and protected. It has in some ways been my only constant since I arrived in the UK. If it wasn’t for the college support, I definitely wouldn’t have made it this far.“
During his studies Miran worked with many tutors and lecturers across the college. He explained how it was enlightening that some lecturers had a similar life experience to him, being from overseas and not just the UK. This really helped him feel comfortable and understood.
He said that the support services available helped him every step of the way, and that the learning facilitators here at Trafford College help to banish the stigma of asking for help. He explained that every student has a Learning Facilitator. This meant that no one student is singled out for having that support, and he is forever grateful for that.
We spoke to Miran’s Learning Facilitator, Susan who spoke about how Miran developed throughout the different programmes and the support that Learning Facilitators can provide at Trafford College:
“Miran was a great wordsmith and loved to find new English words and then try them out verbally and in his English writing. We quickly realised Miran’s love of language and he enjoyed nothing more than learning new words.“
“I remember in one English lesson the teacher asked the students what kind of TV programmes they watched, and she suggested it would tell her something about them. Miran at the time said he was watching Peaky Blinders, and that told her he was very interested in British culture and was open to learning about life in Britain.“
“Miran was a great addition to our group that year and we all remember him as a keen student with a very open mind.“
“Part of the strengths of this course for many ESOL students is that we have lots of group discussions on various topics primarily involving different aspects of British culture and values.“
“As part of these discussions, we try and use as many interesting, unusual and varying words and clarify their meanings; which the students would often take a photo of with their phones.“
“It was a great way of expanding vocabulary as well as encouraging students to speak to each other and we covered many many subjects, especially sharing information on cultures from around the world.“
Miran’s dedication to his studies and his never-give-up attitude is what he believes has enabled him to pursue his education for so long. When knocked down, he explained, “I would always come back fighting harder“.
Resilience is one of our main objectives as a college, and we are so proud that Miran has shown such courage throughout his journey with us.
“I taught Miran ESOL English for a couple of years. He was always really studious and had a love of language learning. I remember he would come to class and proudly use new and often obscure adjectives that he had learned. He taught me a few words I never knew existed! I am really happy how things have turned out for him and wish him well in the future.” – Graham, ESOL Lecturer
We wish Miran all the best in the future, we hope he stays in touch with the college community and keeps us updated on his plans going forward.