Min Jia Zhang, China

"How far would you travel to follow your true love? It's a question not many of us have to ponder, but Ms Min Jia (Cherry) Zhang has done just that and her answer, we're pleased to say, is from Shanghai, China to Melbourne. Cherry moved to Melbourne about six months ago to be reunited with her fiance. The couple have known each other for 10 years and plan to marry soon.

But romance was not the only reason for Cherry's decision to leave her Administration job in Shanghai. She wanted to improve her English and therefore her career prospects too. Expand her cultural horizons was another factor that motivated Cherry. "It's not good for people to live in one city. I wanted to learn about overseas culture. It's quite interesting."

At REW, Cherry had classmates from Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Chile and Iran. She says she found it "interesting because I learnt a lot that I couldn't learn in my country." While Cherry agrees that REW and Melbourne are great places to meet people from different backgrounds, she admits she did experience a bit of homesickness when she arrived here. “When I first arrived I didn’t like Melbourne. I thought it was a little boring and I missed my friends and family (who are the most important people) at home. But after two months I met people here and it was OK. People in Melbourne are very friendly and enthusiastic." And it's not so difficult to stay in touch with family and friends back home. Cherry chats regularly with her parents online and finds it very convenient.

According to Cherry, many Chinese students learn English for many years but don’t have the confidence to speak to native speakers. She admits to being too scared to start conversations with locals when she came to Melbourne but “people are very friendly, helpful and patient." Cherry has worked hard and is studying at the Advanced level now, so she certainly has improved and her speaking skills are excellent. We wish her all the best for her plans and hope she continues to enjoy living in Melbourne. "

Pablo Vahos, Colombia

"Pablo is a Computer Engineer, originally from Medellin but has spent the last seven years in Bogota, working as a consultant in projects with a communication company.

After considerable research, Pablo chose Melbourne as his study destination, primarily because he had heard so many good things about Melbourne. "I needed to take the best option and in the end it was Melbourne," he says. He had lots of advice about language schools from his cousin who also lives in Melbourne and a peer, Jorge, with whom he studied in Colombia. Jorge studied Academic English at REW so was in a great position to tell him about the program and skills he would learn and REW was a perfect fit. “I prefer something serious," says Pablo.

Pablo, a highly motivated student, took advantage of all the resources available at REW. "I used everything – the ILC, the free conversation classes, activities...I think the online material is very, very good too." Understanding different pronunciation and vocabulary of native English speakers was also important to for Pablo. His teachers at REW were from a variety of backgrounds including Australia, America, England and Malta, so he had an opportunity to be exposed to a full range of accents. Learning about different cultures from his class mates added even more to his classroom experience.

Of particular interest to Pablo was improving his writing skills. "I think that the best part is the writing," states Pablo. Preparing written documents and reports is important for his work and developing strong academic writing skills at REW was very useful for him professionally.

Pablo really enjoys living and studying in Melbourne and has found many similarities to Bogota-including the weather! He believes the way people think is similar and there are many parallels between Australian and Colombian culture which make it easy to integrate with society. "I like Melbourne to study and live", says Pablo, "and there are many opportunities to work." When it comes to accommodation in Melbourne Pablo advises, "It's a good idea if you can live with English speakers."

After completing his program, Pablo plans to spend three weeks travelling around Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and Cambodia. Australia’s proximity to the Asian region was a great bonus for him, because it gave him the opportunity to experience all these countries too. "

Salwa Tashkandi and Majdi Shwkat Tashkandi, Saudi Arabia

"Salwa and Madji Tashkandi from Saudi Arabia came to Melbourne in 2009 with their three sons now aged, 12, eight and two, and began studying English at REW. Not only have they taken on the challenge of mastering another language, they have successfully established a home here and integrated their family into life in Melbourne.

Before moving to Melbourne, Salwa was teaching first year students at King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah when she was encouraged by her employer to take on further study. After researching higher education programs on the internet, she found RMIT’s internationally recognised Art and Design programs would suit her perfectly. Salwa then spoke to education counsellors in Jeddah and was able to attend an education exhibition there where she has the opportunity to RMIT international representatives about her program. Like many international students, Salwa needed to perfect her English before she could articulate into her higher education program and REW was the most obvious choice. Upon successful completion of REW’s Advanced English course, Salwa could go directly into her PHD program without having to sit an IELTS or TOEFL test.

Moving a young family to the other side of the world was a very big decision for Salwa and her husband Madji. "At first it was very difficult, but now we are OK." Madji has a cousin who had lived in Melbourne and said it was a "beautiful, safe and friendly city." With the help of friends here in Melbourne and the internet, they were soon able to find accommodation and enrol their sons at local schools.

Salwa smiles as she recalls entering the country for the first time. They had brought food from Saudi Arabia, not knowing if they could buy it in Melbourne. Unfortunately it was all confiscated by Customs when they arrived in Melbourne, due to quarantine regulations! Fortunately they have found all of the ingredients they would use to cook at home in grocery stores on Sydney Road in Brunswick, so they are able to cook the food they love.

Madji says their teachers have been very good. "Each one has their own style." Salwa comments that "some are very friendly and some are very strict." Their teachers have come from Australia, New Zealand, India, Belgium and the USA, so they have experienced many different accents. Salwa liked this, saying, "You always need to hear different accents, because if you don't understand then at University, what will you do?"

Salwa and Madjii are very pleased with their choice to come to Melbourne to study and pursue their careers. According to the couple, the demand for English in Saudi Arabia has increased dramatically in recent years. "If you want a job you must speak English…When you want a job they ask you, "Can you speak English and can you use a computer?" says Salwa.

They plan to stay in Melbourne for five years, until Salwa completes a PhD in Fashion Design at RMIT and Majdi finishes a Masters of Oral Health. "

Ung Hee Yoon, South Korea

"Mr Ung Hee Yoon is from Busan, South Korea. After completing the first year of an engineering degree at Dong-Ah University, followed by two years of military service, Ung Hee decided to come to Melbourne on a working holiday visa. This gave him the opportunity to study English as well work part time, a popular choice for many young Koreans.

Ung Hee chose REW because a friend of his parents recommended the language school as the programs are well structured and have a strong academic focus. Having enjoyed the discipline involved in military service, Ung Hee decided that REW’s programs would be a very good fit for him. "I am really satisfied with this study program because when I came to Australia I didn’t know any English," he says.

At REW, Ung Hee has been introduced to people from all over the world. His classmates were from Vietnam, Thailand, Italy, China and Brazil. "I met so many international friends at REW."

Working with different native English speaking teachers is a new experience for Ung Hee, with each teacher having a unique teaching style. He describes his teachers as being very good. "I am very satisfied with them," says Ung Hee with a broad smile.

"Australia is very big, much bigger than South Korea. There are so many places to visit." Ung Hee recommends that students join the RMIT Union Activities. While at REW he has travelled to the Great Ocean Road for the weekend with other students and made many new friends. As he says, "the most important thing is who goes with you." The cost was comparatively cheap for him and included accommodation, surfing lessons, BBQ meals and a campfire. "It was a very good time," he laughs. Ung Hee has also visited Phillip Island, Puffing Billy, the Dandenong Mountains, Albert Park Lake and St Kilda Beach during his Australian adventure.

Like most international students, Ung Hee has quickly settled into life in Melbourne. "I really like Australia," he says, "It has a good atmosphere. People are proud and kind and really like to smile. people are always smiling." Ung Hee has finished his 15 week English language course with REW and is currently working casually at a Korean restaurant in South Bank. He plans to return to Korea in 2011 with greatly improved English language skills and many wonderful stories about his time in Australia. "

Tatiana Aparicio, Colombia

"We'd like to introduce you to Tatiana Aparicio, one of REW’s recent Colombian graduates. Tatiana comes from Bogota and studied at REW for six months in 2009 and 2010. Having studied and worked hard at her engineering and project management career, Tatiana decided to study English in Melbourne to help improve her employment prospects in future. Her company has partners in USA so improved English will help her communicate with them. Tatiana finds that Colombia is very competitive. "If you don’t have any English, the job opportunities are fewer".

Tatania needed to find a language school to help her meet her professional goals and REW was the perfect choice. She believes she has improved her writing skills a lot. "Business and academic styles (of writing) have a relationship so writing an essay will help with writing a business report." She has found the REW books to be very academic and adds "I like the online materials, especially the videos and listening practice."

Like many students, Tatiana shares a house with five other people from Australia and New Zealand and recommended this as great way to improve your listening and speaking skills. She found her house one week after arriving in Melbourne. Tatiana also appreciates REW’s downtown location address because "it's close to everything and the public transport is easy."

Tatiana chose REW because of its' good reputation. She chose Melbourne because it is possible to work and study at the same time and because friends had told her great things about the city. "Here you can do all the things that you want. Melbourne has a lot of opportunities but it all depends on you. Here I feel relaxed." "

Daniela Back, Germany

"We would like to introduce you to Daniela Beck from Germany, who has just completed Upper Intermediate at REW. Daniela reports that she really had fun with her international classmates. "I was really surprised we had such a good class. We were like a multicultural family. I was surprised that we could work together for 10 weeks without any negativity." As well as improving her English in general, she feels she has learnt a lot about culture. Some of the activities in class provided the opportunity to compare lifestyles, culture and cooking from different countries.

For Daniela the academic nature of the EAP program was great. "The materials will be very helpful for me, in terms of future study." Daniela plans to start a Diploma of Nursing at RMIT in 2011 and the REW pathway is a wonderful way to learn the skills needed to study in Australia. It also means that she won’t need to take an IELTS or TOEFL test to meet the English language entrance requirements.

But we doubt that sitting a test would worry her, as Daniela has quite an adventurous nature! She quit her job as a Doctor's Assistant and Diabetes Educator in Germany to migrate to Australia with her husband. Having travelled to all the capital cities, they decided to call Melbourne their new home. "I also like Sydney but Melbourne is more multicultural and casual. We like the people here. We like the lifestyle."

Daniela is looking forward to welcoming a friend from home to Melbourne soon and has planned a lot of sightseeing activities with her. One of the things she likes most about Melbourne is that "the city is so close to the ocean. You can do many things here…the beaches, gardens, markets…and it's a cappuccino city!" According to Daniela the cappuccinos in Australia are better than Germany but she does think that her compatriots make the best dark bread and sausages!"

Alberto Andres, Spain

"The organisation and the content of the courses are very well designed and the time I spent at REW has been a good investment. I also want to remark on the professional work that all of the teachers I met during this time did."

Wu Mon Xi, Taiwan

"I was so lucky to study English at RMIT English Worldwide before starting my formal courses at RMIT University because I developed a lot of English skills from the professional teachers and also made a lot of friends in class who came from different countries. In addition, REW provides a good environment and complete programs for studying language. That is why I feel so lucky because REW is a good choice for learning English indeed."

Miharu Tanaka, Japan

"I had so much more fun at REW than I expected. All the staff were very friendly and they took time to listen to us. They treated us as more than just students by inviting us to party and e-mailing outside class, which made us welcome when we were away from home. I met so many good friends who are from all over the world. The great experience I had in my classes makes me want to come back again. I will always remember my time at REW."

Aiman H. Saleh, Libya

"Studying the EAP course has given me a great opportunity to improve my academic English skills. The course has offered me essential information, contact with generous people, and a confident feeling to start my higher degree."

Cao Rong, China

"The EAP course not only helps me to learn academic knowledge, but also helps me to develop my independent learning skills. The centre has a good facilities and highly qualified teaching staff. Students here come from all over the world. I have really enjoyed studying at REW."

Yehuda (Udi) Weizman

"Dear Teachers at the REW: I would like to thank you all for helping me improve my English during this short term (15 weeks). I could not have done it without your professional skills and attitude. In addition, I would also like to thank the excellent staff in the I.L.C that contributed a lot of time and passion. I am looking forward to the next step of my studies, and I hope to keep in touch with you in the future. If I can be of assistance in some way to R.E.W please let me know."

Pilanta Kumpoopong, Thailand

"I found that studying at REW improved my academic English before I started studying a Master of Arts in Communications at RMIT University. REW has had benefits for me for instance, I learnt how to write an academic essay, how to think critically and how to give a good oral presentation. REW has a great environment for study, quality teachers and good student service. Also, I met several friends from many countries so I am really enjoying studying here"