Life is different for Eton Institute’s English scholarship graduates

Eton Institute’s English Scholarship Programme for the underprivileged has demonstrated the difference the scholarship has made to the lives of 7 individuals. The UAE’s leading language training and development centre, introduced the life-changing programme worth AED 150,000/- last year as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility initiative.

Sue Brett, Teacher Trainer and Consultant at Eton Institute, said: “Two months ago, I met two very quiet six year old children from Dhaka, prior to their first English class with their instructor.  They didn’t speak a single word of English and made it quite clear to us and their mother that they wanted to take their backpacks and go home.  Three weeks later, I met two laughing, chatty little people, eager to get to their class and answering very simple greetings in beautiful, confident English, with big smiles on their faces.  Now when I meet them, they “high five” me!  For me, this is what the scholarship is all about.  Language should not be a barrier; it should be an enabler for people to reach their full potential and allow them to show who they are and what they can do.”

Applicants were required to submit a written essay in their own language or English, answering the question: “How would learning English change your life?” One successful candidate, Gayani Rathnayaka, recounted her experience of growing up in Sri Lanka with a desire to do more to help her family. Like many of her compatriots she came to Dubai, but had to work as a housemaid because her English was not good enough to allow her to pursue other careers. Having completed the intermediate level of English, now Gayani is a housekeeper for a British family and wants to continue learning English, saying, “The scholarship taught me so many unknown things. I feel confident in myself! Now I can write essays and letters in English. I thank Eton Institute with all my heart. ”

Other scholarship candidates include 28 year old Jordanian Yasser Quol, as well as Moideen K. and Abdul Nishad – both employees at the institute.

More recently, in collaboration with the ‘Maria Christina Foundation’, Eton Institute opened its doors to a Bangladeshi mum and her two small children to prepare them for life in the UAE.

Eager to learn and keen to better their lives, the candidates have wowed instructors with their progress and determination at learning English, breezing through the basic private course in 20 hours instead of the year and a half it would have taken in their home country. With the cooperation of dedicated instructors, Eton Institute has recently extended the family’s scholarship to an additional 20 hours of private tutoring. The ‘Maria Christina Foundation’ program aims to empower women and children from poverty-stricken backgrounds and provide them with the tools they need to expand and better their lives, as well as providing employment to the main breadwinners of the family.

The English scholarship initiative will award scholarships worth a total of AED 150,000/- to deserving individuals and will sponsor all tuition and material expenses to study English from the beginner level. To apply, candidates must submit an essay in their own native language or in English stating how learning English would change their life. Short-listed applicants will then be invited for a personal interview after which the most deserving individuals will be awarded a six-month scholarship to learn English. The essay between 200-300 words must be emailed to [email protected] or submitted through a simple online application form http://www.eton.ac/scholarships. Applications may also submit in person at Eton Institute located at Dubai Knowledge Village, Block 3. For more information about this non-profit initiative by Eton Institute visit www.eton.ac or call toll free 800 Eton (800 3866).