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Hadia Mihalff ESOL The Manchester College

Hadia’s India trip made possible thanks to The Manchester College

Student praises ESOL tutors for helping her develop her English language skills.

College ESOL student Hadia Mihalffy travelled to India earlier this year to further her training as a dental hygienist, thanks to her English language skills acquired during her four years at The Manchester College.

Born in Khartoum, Sudan and raised in Budapest, Hungary, Hadia moved to England in 2015 with her two children, unable to speak any English.

After enrolling on the Pre-Entry ESOL course at our Northenden campus in 2016, Hadia has since completed the Entry One, Entry Two and Entry Three courses and is now on the ESOL Level 1 course.

Hadia qualified as a dental hygienist in Hungary but had to wait to be registered with Dental Council in England. In March, she travelled to New Delhi to complete a Practical Dentistry course to refresh and further her skills. She credits The Manchester College, and especially her ESOL tutors, for making the trip possible.

“Returning to education with The Manchester College gave me a very big confidence boost,” Hadia said. “It is like a family and this encouraged me to come back every year. This is my second home.

The staff, particularly our tutors, really contribute to providing us with an excellent learning experience.

"We are beginners and some of us are older so it’s not as easy to learn a new language, but our tutors encourage, motivate us and are very patient."

“When I arrived here I could only mime, I couldn’t speak a word of English. I could have gone to India one year ago but my English wasn’t as good, so that was a barrier. Without The Manchester College, I wouldn’t have achieved that goal. Now I can speak English confidently. The staff gave me all the support that I needed and made sure that I was improving every day.”

The three-month course was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Hadia thoroughly enjoyed the experience and hopes to return and complete the course before going on to university. She also wants to fulfil her ambition of becoming a certified pilot, something she’s been working towards for 25 years.

Hadia said: “I had a really great experience in India. Practicing and improving my skills gave me a lot of confidence as I was treating people in all age ranges, from toddlers to elderly people. I will go back to finish the course when it’s safe to do so.

“I started learning to fly with Ethiopian Airlines in 1995 and my father wanted me to be the first female Sudanese pilot. Due to the war at the time, I had to go back to Sudan and from there we moved to Cairo, then Hungary. I started again in Hungary in 2000 but after I had my son, it was difficult to keep it up. I can fly a Cessna 152 and 172 so I hope to finish my 200 hours flying to be a certified pilot.”

You can find out more about our ESOL study programmes at the number one College for adult learners in Greater Manchester and apply today.