A man who couldn’t speak a word of English just three years ago has won an award for mastering his adoptive mother tongue well enough to help teach others.
Shahinoor Ali struggled to talk with his GP and basic things like opening a bank account when he first arrived in east London.
That was until a friend recommended he enrol at a free English course at Whitechapel’s Idea Store.
“I was keen to learn English, but couldn’t find a suitable course,” Shahinoor recalled. “The staff at the Idea Store encouraged me to learn and helped so much.”
The 30-year-old who has completed Entry Levels 2 and 3 and is now studying a Level 1 English and Speaking course was given the Learning in the Community award by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, recognising outstanding individual achievements.
Shahinoor is currently working as a teaching assistant at the Shadwell Centre. His long-term goal is to become a language teacher.
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